


Infinity Realized: A Crossover Fic

by Norbez



Category: Code:Realize ～創世の姫君～ | Code: Realize - Guardian of Rebirth (Visual Novel), Code:Realize～創世の姫君～ | Code:Realize ~Sousei no Himegimi~ | Code:Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ (Anime), Infinity Train (Cartoon)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Badass, College, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Hurt, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Minor Injuries, Multi, Other, Past Rape/Non-con, Psychological Trauma, Rape, Rape/Non-con Elements, Trains, Trauma, University, Whumptober, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:21:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 31
Words: 20,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26871316
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norbez/pseuds/Norbez
Summary: After an argument with his (scientific) partner, Victor Frankenstein is whisked aboard the Infinity Train.  Onboard, he meets a strange cast of of characters, along with a mysterious "doll" who longs to be in the human world.  Will Victor get off the train, or will he be trapped forever?A Code:Realize & Infinity Train crossover fic.  Discusses non-consentual behavior and sexual assault.  You have been warned.
Relationships: Cardia Beckford/Victor Frankenstein, Cardia Beckford/Victor Frankenstein/Arsene Lupin/Saint-Germaine/Abraham Van Helsing, Impey Barbicane/Arsène Lupin (Code: Realize), Impey Barbicane/Cardia Beckford, Impey Barbicane/Cardia Beckford/Victor Frankenstein, Impey Barbicane/Cardia Beckford/Victor Frankenstein/Arsène Lupin/Saint-Germain/Abraham Van Helsing, Victor Frankenstein/Abraham Van Helsing (Code: Realize), Victor Frankenstein/Arsène Lupin, victor frankenstein/Nemo
Kudos: 5





	1. Welcome Aboard

“Forget it.” Victor Frankenstein, age 22, turned away from his companion with disgust. “I’m not going with you.”

The other man, Nemo, frowned. “But Fran, this is our greatest achievement! Surely you can understand!”

The scientist hesitated for a long moment. “. . . Let me think about it,” he finally said. “Ok?”

Nemo nodded eagerly. “Sure, sure. Sounds great!”

Fran sighed. “I’m going home. Goodnight, Nemo.” Then, he walked away.

He walked out of the university’s chemistry building still fuming at what his scientific partner had suggested. But he couldn’t just _abandon_ Nemo now . . . could he?

His walk turned aimless, and Fran found himself in the woods. When he looked up, he realized he was lost. “Hello?” he called into the darkness. “Is anyone here?”

That’s when he heard the train whistle in the distance. Turning, he saw the vehicle approaching from tracks he’d sworn he hadn’t seen: a sleek, but scientific-looking train, with gears turning on its sides. It stopped in front of Victor, and the door opened.

He hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. What the hell—this was probably linked to the same line that lead to campus. It should be fine.

The scientist stepped forward, and immediately was surrounded by a bright light.

Victor Frankenstein was gone from this plane—he had officially boarded the Infinity Train, and there was no turning back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober begins! https://whumptober2020.tumblr.com/post/628055505485561856/whumptober-2020-updated
> 
> I hope you like this fic! C:
> 
> Day 1 Prompt: Let’s Hang Out Sometime


	2. Awake In The Purple Forest Car

“Unnngh. . .”

The first thing Victor felt was a searing pain in his head. He rubbed his temples as he sat up, trying to remember if he’d been drinking last night. No, he couldn’t remember having any alcohol—so what had happened?

Then he remembered it. The train that had appeared, the bright light. Had that been real? Regardless, he couldn’t remember getting home at all. . .

He sat up, and realized he wasn’t back in his dorm. Not even close. He was in some kind of . . . purple forest? The whole place was covered in shades of lavender and indigo, sky and all. “What the heck?” Victor muttered. A sun mixed blue and red shone down on him, and he lifted his hand up to shield from the rays—

“GAH!” the scientist screamed in surprise. He stared at the palm of his left hand, where a mysterious green number was now written: 91. “W-What’s going on?!” he stammered, waving his hand up and down. The chemist knew immediately it wasn’t a simple prank—this wasn’t ordinary materials like marker or paint. It was almost like the number was shining out from inside of him. . .

“This is crazy,” Victor finally concluded. “I have to be dreaming. This is a hangover dream.” He reached down and pinched himself, waiting to wake up from the purple forest and land back in his dorm, where Nemo was waiting. But, as his logical mind already knew, nothing happened, because he wasn’t dreaming. Great.

Victor sighed and stood up from the ground, looking forward. “I guess there’s nothing left but to move forward,” the scientist said, mostly to himself. He took a deep breath, and then—

Something sharp pressed against his back. “Don’t move,” a rough voice said, “or I’ll shoot.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 2 Prompt: In The Hands Of The Enemy/Kidnapped


	3. Welcome To The Infinity Train

Victor immediately put his hands up. “O-Ok,” he stammered, shaking out of his boots. “I’m not moving, ok?!”

“Good,” said the gruff voice. There was a pause, and then, “Show me your hands.”

Victor was confused. “Um, I already put them up—”

“Your _palm_ , dummy. Show me your number.”

 _My number, huh?_ Victor thought, glancing at his 91. He flipped his left palm toward the figure behind him. “Is this what you mean?”

“Exactly.” The sharp object left his back, and the voice said. “Ok, you’re good. You can turn around now.”

Victor did so, and met eyes with the man behind him, studying him carefully. He was about Victor’s age, with dirty blond hair that ran down to his cold, blue eyes. The man was also carrying some kind of harpoon gun, which explained the thing that had threatened to pierce Victor’s back, and he wore a long, trailing army coat, which just barely covered his ripped jeans and worn-out sneakers.

“Sorry about that,” the man said, looking at Victor with his steely gaze. “Had to make sure you were human. You can never tell on this train.”

“Train?” Victor frowned. “I remember seeing a train before I passed out and woke up here. Is that how you got here, too?”

“Oh, you’re new, huh?” the man asked. He sighed in exasperation, then said, “Look, I’ll make this brief. That train you saw—you’re still on it right now. This is part of the train.”

The chemist’s eyes widened in complete shock. “What?!” He looked around the forest, searching for any sign that he was on an automobile. “But that’s impossible! That. . . That defies the laws of science!”

“Well, this train doesn’t exactly follow the laws of science,” Van said, shrugging. “It has its own rules. And you’ll need to know them if you want to survive.”

Victor nodded. He was shaking now, but was doing his best to keep calm, and listen to everything this man was telling him—even if he was still in denial. “Ok. What are those rules?”

“Each train car has a new set of rules. Follow the rules, solve the puzzle, you get to move onto the next car. Keep going so that you can get your number down.” The man looked into Victor’s eyes. “Get your number down to zero, and you’re out of here.”

“’Out of here’?”

“You’re warped back home.”

 _Warped?! No way._ “And I get it down to zero by solving puzzles?”

“Kind of. The train wants to . . . test you. Build your character, that kind of crap.” The man sighed and folded his arms. “I’ve never been a big fan of it, not when I got on here and certainly not now. But that’s the way it works around here. Trust me, I know.”

Victor nodded. “So I was brought here to . . . improve myself?”

“Ding ding ding,” the man said sarcastically. “Give the guy a prize.”

The scientist took a deep breath. This was quite a lot to take in. Part of him still didn’t believe he was in this situation—yet here he was, talking to a man in a purple forest that was apparently _on a train_. Maybe he just had to accept it. “I guess you’re trying to get you number to zero, too?” Victor asked.

The man nodded. “Yeah. . . Though that might take a bit longer than yours.”

“Why?” For the first time, Victor noticed that the man wore gloves on his hands—the number was completely blocked off.

“Because I learned about the train the hard way,” snapped the man. “Why do you think I’m helping you?”

“Oh.” Victor blushed. “I see. Well . . . thank you.”

The man just shrugged. “Hey, the less passengers I have to deal with, the better. Now, you want to get out of this forest or what?”

“Certainly,” the chemist replied eagerly. “You’re coming with me, aren’t you?” He was too timid to admit it, but the thought of going alone in this strange place absolutely _terrified_ him. . .

The man let out a long, exasperated sigh. “. . . Fine. But I’m not joining you for your whole character arc, got it?”

“Fine,” Victor said, laughing. He was glad he was still able to laugh, despite all this . . . weirdness. “Shall we?”

The other man nodded, jerking a thumb behind him. “I entered from that way, so the exit,” he said, pointing forward, “is somewhere over there, I’ll bet. Though this is a new car—not totally sure how we get out of here. But we’ll figure it out.”

“Ok,” Victor said. He watched as the man marched ahead, and shyly came beside him. “By the way,” he asked, “I’m Victor Frankenstein.”

“Not that I care,” snapped the man. “We won’t know each other for very long.”

“Oh.” The chemist hesitated for a moment before asking, “. . . So, what’s your name?”

The man sighed, rubbing his temples. Finally, he said, “Abraham. But just call me Van Helsing, got it?”

“Got it,” Victor said. “Nice to meet you, Van.”

Van only grunted in response, continuing forward at a steady, even pace. Victor walked beside him, looking around the forest and taking in the atmosphere. All in all, it was a pretty normal looking place, aside from all the purple. He could even hear birds chirping in the distance. . . 

“Keep your guard up,” snapped Van, making Victor jump. “You never know what the train might pull, got it?”

“Got it,” Victor said. “So what kind of puzzle do you think—”

At that moment, the chemist glimpsed a shadow falling down from the sky—and it was getting closer. Van stopped walking and looked up, just as a massive cage fell on the two humans. Its pointed ends dug deep into the dirt, and the metal bars were too thin to climb through.

“Oh no!” screamed Victor. “We’re trapped!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 3 Prompt: My Way Or The Highway/Held At Gunpoint


	4. Trapped By A Genius Engineer

“Don’t panic,” snapped Van Helsing. “There has to be a way out of this.”

The man swung the harpoon behind his back, and then heaved, trying to lift the cage off of the ground to free them. Victor joined in, trying to help too, but even with their combined efforts, it was no use. “Damn,” Van muttered. “It’s stuck in the ground pretty good. . .”

“Why, of course it is!”

Victor jumped at the new voice, which came from above them and continued to speak. “For this is the work of . . . Impey Barbicane, genius engineer!”

A presence jumped out of the trees and landed on the ground in front of them. To Victor’s complete shock, the one that had trapped them was . . . a giant flying squirrel, about three feet in height. It wasn’t purple like the rest of the forest, however: it was chestnut brown in color, and wore a belt full of various tools. Red hair sprouted from its head in a long braid, and googles sat on its head.

“Oh, great,” muttered Van Helsing. “A denizen.”

Victor turned to him with a frown. “What’s a—"

“Fools!” the flying squirrel—Impey—screamed, starling Victor and making him cry out. “I am no mere denizen! I am a master of my craft!” The animal laughed, giving the two humans a toothy grin. “Try getting out of that!”

“Trust me, I will!” snapped Van Helsing. He tried lifting the cage again, putting more effort into it this time. Unlike before, the trap shook slightly, and the squirrel let out a surprised squeak.

“Oh no!” it cried. “I have to go get Cardia before they escape!” The animal darted off, and soon it was gone. Victor stared at where Impey had been, dumbfounded.

“Help me get out of this!” grunted Van, snapping the chemist out of his stupor.

“R-Right!” He lifted the cage with the other man, and it shook more this time. “So,” said Victor, breathing hard as he lifted, “what’s a denizen?”

“Those are the . . . oomph! The beings on this train,” Van Helsing replied. “They live here, belong here. Some . . . ah! Some help you on your journey of getting to zero, and some like to get in your way. They’re unpredictable.”

The cage was shaking more and more, and Victor could feel the foundations of the cage shifting—they were going to get out of this! But just as their escape seemed certain, the squirrel came back.

And it wasn’t alone. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 4 Prompt: Running Out Of Time/Caged


	5. Not Quite Human

“Cardia, Cardia, look!” cried Impey as he entered the clearing. “I found you some numbers for—hey!”

Victor froze as the squirrel turned and saw him, and the animal shrieked, “No, they’re escaping! Cardia, help me keep the cage down!” It ran forward and scrambled to the top of the trap, jumping up and down with angry screams.

“No, don’t!” cried a new voice.

For the first time, Victor was drawn to the person the squirrel had brought, and his eyes widened. It was, thankfully, another human being, though something about her seemed . . . _artificial_. She wore a flowing brown and white dress that trailed against the purple grass, and she looked at Impey, Victor, and Van with a pained expression, though her eyes seemed plastic and doll-like.

“I told you to stop trapping passengers,” she—Impey had called her Cardia, hadn’t he?—said firmly, plucking the squirrel off of the cage with gloved hands.

“But what about your number?” the animal asked, squirming in Cardia’s grip.

She shook her head, placing Impey onto the ground. “No. I told you. Not if it takes away someone else’s.”

She walked up to the cage. Both men had stopped lifting to survey the scene, and Victor saw Van’s eyes narrow as she approached. “Be careful,” snapped Helsing, taking out his harpoon gun. “I don’t think she’s a passenger, got it?”

 _A passenger? Oh, passenger on the train! But. . ._ Victor frowned, and looked over at the woman. _Why wouldn’t she be a passenger?_

The woman took off one of her gloves, revealing an empty palm with no number. Then she reached out, and ran her hand the bars of the cage.

Immediately, the metal reacted to her touch, and melted away, as if she had brought acid against it. Victor gasped at the chemical reaction, and stared at the woman in surprise. Van was right: she wasn’t what she seemed.

She took off her other glove, stuffing both in a dress pocket, and Victor still didn’t see a number. Pressing her hands harder against the bars, she melted a hole wide enough for the two men to step through. Then she timidly stepped back, looking up shyly at them as she put her gloves back on.

Impey wailed, “Nooo, my engineering masterpiece! Cardia, how could you?”

As Victor and Van stepped out of the cage, she turned to the squirrel with a sigh. “I told you, I don’t want a number that way.” Cardia then turned back to the two men, and bowed in apology. “I’m so sorry. Are you both ok?”

“We’re—”

Before Victor could say anything more, Van flew in front of him, holding out the harpoon gun, ready to shoot. “What do you want, poison denizen?” Helsing snapped, his aim flickering between Cardia and Impey. “Why did you trap us?”

Cardia gulped. “L-Like I said, Impey was just trying to help! I don’t have a number, you see. I told him about it and, well. . .” She laughed. “He’s been trying to get one for me, in his own way.”

“Anything for you, dear Cardia!” Impey said cheerfully, walking by her side and glaring at Helsing.

“Why are you trying to get a number?” asked Victor, still unwilling to believe that the human in front of him was part of this . . . train-thing. “Aren’t you, um, like us?”

Cardia clearly hesitated. Then, she shook her head. “No, I’m not,” she replied, with a voice full of sorrow. “I was . . . born on the train, you see. I want to get off, like you passengers can. I’ve been stuck here for so long, and I thought that if I could just get a number, I could leave.” She sighed. “I told Impey recently that I was worried about it, and he said he had a great idea on how to get me one. He’s been doing this ever since—I’m terribly sorry.”

“Trust me, you don’t want our numbers anyway,” Van snapped, jerking a thumb at Fran. “He’s all the way at 91, and mine’s higher than that. Would take you a good while to get off the train.”

“’All the way’ at 91? Wait—how long _is_ it going to take to get off?” Victor asked fearfully.

“Ooo, so does that mean you don’t want your numbers?” Impey asked hopefully, grinning. “So you can give them to Cardia?”

“Not a chance,” growled Van. He glanced back at Victor and said, “Trust me, you don’t want to give up—not that you could if you wanted to, anyway. It’s your only lifeline around here.” He looked back at Cardia, and said, “But if you were born on the train, why do you want to get off?”

“I want to see the world,” she replied. “I’ve been on this train for ages, and I’ve heard so much about what lies beyond. I . . . I want to go there. Even if I do poison everything I touch.”

Victor felt sorry for her. Van shrugged and said, “Ok, sure. Whatever.” He straightened up, and stood next to Victor, but kept his hand on the harpoon gun.

“How long have you been . . . here?” asked Victor.

“A very long time,” Cardia replied sadly. “I was waiting in a Mansion Car for a very long time, hoping for my father to return, until one of the passengers rescued me. I’ve been trying to get off ever since.”

“Wait—you were trapped in one of the, er, train cars?”

She nodded. “My father put me there. . . He told me to wait for him until ‘the time is right for our reunion’. But he never came back for me.”

“Your father. . . Tell us about him.” Van said. Victor noticed that for the first time, the other man looked interested. “Do you remember what he looked like?”

“Vaguely,” Cardia replied.

“Tell us then.”

“He was tall, very tall—I remember that well. He had olive green eyes, and spoke in a robotic voice.”

Van Helsing’s eyes widened. “No . . . couldn’t be,” he muttered. “The one Aleister saw. . .”

“What?” asked Victor.

The man shook his head. Then he turned to Cardia, and said, “Let’s make a deal. If you lead us out of this train car, I can help you find you father.”

Her eyes widened in happy surprise. “Really?”

Van nodded. “And I’ll bet he might be able to give you a number.”

“Oh, thank you so much!” Cardia exclaimed, a wide grin on her face. “I’ve always wanted to meet him, though I assumed he would have left the train by now.” She turned to Helsing, slightly confused. “Wait, how do you even know my father?”

“I’ll tell you more once we’re out of this train car,” said Van, putting the harpoon gun on his back and folding his arms. “So, do we have a deal?”

Cardia nodded. “Alright, that sounds fair. Deal, then.”

“Hooray!” Impey cheered, hugging Cardia’s leg. “You’re finally going to get a number!”

Cardia giggled. “Yes, I can’t wait.” She turned around, and gestured for Victor and Van to follow. “Come on, you two! Once we’re out, you can meet the rest of the gang!”

“The rest of the gang?” Victor asked, following her. Helsing hesitated for a slight moment before walking with them. Impey bounded along with the group, humming a happy tune.

“Lupin and Saint,” she explained. “I’m sure you’ll love them as much as I do!”

Victor paused. _Love. . ._

Voices echoed inside of his head, and he stopped, frozen. “Victor?” asked Van, frowning. “Come on, let’s get moving.”

But his body refused to move. And in his mind, he went back. . .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 5 Prompt: Where Do You Think You’re Going/Rescue


	6. A Glimpse of History

“Come on, Nemo,” Fran said, laughing with his partner. “You can’t really do that, can you?”

“I’m serious, though,” said the other scientist, an evil grin on his face. “If we calculate the doses just right, nobody will notice.”

“But people _trust_ us, as scientists,” Victor insisted. “Come on, we shouldn’t.”

“Oh, should we?” teased Nemo, leaning forward and stroking the chemist’s cheek.

Fran tried to laugh it off, lifting up his arm to move the man’s hand away. “T-That’s enough, ok, please, can we—”

And that’s when Nemo leaned forward, forcing a kiss into Victor’s mouth, surprising the chemist completely. Fran tried to part them, but Nemo placed his hand behind Victor’s head and forced him forward, devouring him. Fear rose up inside of Fran’s body, but then he decided to just play along. Just hold on for a little longer, and not resist. It was easier that way with Nemo.

Finally, he was released from the other scientist’s grip, freed from the kiss. Nemo smiled down at Victor and said, “Have I convinced you?”

Fran forced a pained laugh. “I-I suppose so. Should we get back to the dorm?”

As they packed their things, Victor ran through it all in his mind. The desperate taste of Nemo’s kiss, the forcing of their lips.

But it was fine. He was into that sort of thing, so it wasn’t a big deal.

Right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 6 Prompt: Please. . .


	7. Out of The Purple Forest Car

Victor felt dazed as he left the flashback. Everything seemed hazy around the edges, _wrong_ somehow. Then he remembered he was in some kind of supernatural train with a magic number and a talking squirrel. So, there was that.

The second thing he noticed was that somebody was carrying him. Strong arms wrapped around his body, securing him in place . . . trapping him . . . oh god. He squirmed in the grip, thinking of the time Nemo, drunk as hell, carried him across campus.

“It’s alright,” a firm voice said above him. Victor looked up to see Van Helsing’s face. To the chemist’s surprise, the man actually looked worried, and he said, “I got you. Are you ok?”

“I-I think so,” stammered Victor, trying to fight back the bad memories. “Um . . . what happened?”

“You fell on the ground and fainted,” replied Helsing promptly. “I didn’t want us to lose progress, since Cardia said this forest is pretty big, so I picked you up.”

“I, um, see. Can you put me down now, please?” he asked, his voice becoming more panicked as he talked. The chemist’s heart was racing with terror as he thought of that night: drunk Nemo, carrying him back, and that night. . . Fuck fuck fuck! He had to stand on his own two feet before he passed out again.

“Uh, sure.” Van gently let go of Victor’s legs, and the man swung them on the ground, quickly forcing his upper body from Helsing’s grip. “You’re welcome,” the man muttered, marching past the scientist.

“T-Thank you,” said Victor, looking forward. He saw Cardia and Impey were ahead of them, leading the way, and he quickly followed. “Where are we going?” he asked.

“The exit, dummy,” snapped Van.

“The doorway out of here,” replied Cardia. “Everyone else is waiting in the next car, the Plane Car. They’ll be so happy to meet you.”

“So the others are . . . ‘Lupin’ and ‘Saint’?” asked the chemist.

“Lupin’s the passenger who saved Cardia,” said Impey cheerfully. “And Saint a member of the train, like us! I think he’s been on it far longer than I have, though—he knows everything about this place!”

“Great, another denizen,” sighed Helsing.

“And I assume they know about your, uh, poison?” asked Victor.

“Correct,” said Cardia. She said nothing more, and so the four continued on.

Finally, they reached a clearing, a wide field of grass. At the center of it, Victor noticed a red, roundish door, with a strange doorknob: a split circle, each side at a different height. “Huh,” the chemist said, taking it all in. “So, that’s the exit?”

“Right,” Impey said.

“Open it,” ordered Van Helsing.

Cardia walked up to the door, and did so, swinging the doorknob all the way around. She then stood asde, beckoning for Victor and Van to go first. “After you,” she said, smiling.

“Thanks,” Victor said. That’s when he saw what lay beyond the exit.

He could hear the sound of a metal wheels against railing—so he truly had been in a train car all along! Part of him hadn’t really believed it, but now that it was confirmed to be real, it was nothing short of bizarre. In front of him lay a long metal bridge, separating this train car from the next one. Thankfully it had railing, and looked sturdy enough, but the gaps underneath the rails worried him. He gulped.

“Come on,” Van Helsing said with a sigh. “Let’s go, Victor.”

“R-Right,” the chemist said, clearing his throat. Then he took a deep breath, and walked outside.

The roar of a train whistle overwhelmed his ears, and he looked up, searching for the source. All he saw was the metal surface of the next train car, and he noticed the entrance door was exactly the same as the exit they had just left. Looking around, he saw that the train was in some kind of red, rocky field, traveling through this strange dessert at top speed. Where was it going? And why was it here?

“Come on, please,” Helsing said, interrupting Victor’s thoughts with a voice of mock patience.

“Sorry!” squeaked Fran. He quickly walked forward onto the bridge, doing his best not to look down. Thankfully, he was on the other side before he knew it, and the scientist stepped aside, letting the others go onto the train car.

“Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet them!” exclaimed Cardia. She opened the door. “Lupin, Saint! I’m ba—”

She froze. Victor looked into the car, and saw that it was indeed the interior of an airplane, and quite a large one at that. However, nobody was inside.

“Lupin!” called Cardia, walking inside. “Saint?

“Where are you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 7 Prompt: I Got You/Carrying


	8. The Plane Car

Victor followed Cardia into the train car, looking around for any sign of life. But as far as he could tell, nobody was here.

“I don’t know about this,” grunted Van. “This feels like a trap.”

“This is our base of operations,” said Cardia simply. “If there was a trap, I’d know about it.”

“Yeah, come on, hardhead!” Impey added from behind Helsing.

The man let out an exasperated sigh. Then he walked into The Plane Car. Impey followed, and the door shut behind them.

“I’m not sure where they went—I told them to wait right here for me,” Cardia said, her voice panicked. “This is bad, this is really bad!” She turned to Victor and Van with tears in her eyes. “They’re my only friends aside from Impey! I can’t lose them!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them!” assured Victor. The last thing he wanted was to see this girl sad. “Right, Van?”

“If we must,” replied Helsing between gritted teeth.

“After we find them, then you can tell me about my father,” Cardia said. “They’ll want to hear it too, after all.”

“Alright,” the man replied.

Impey walked on top of the plane rows, and quickly ran along them, searching speedily. “They’re not here, Cardia!” he called from the front of the cabin.

“Then where could they be?” she muttered. “We’ll just have to go to the next car—maybe they’re down there.”

“So how do we get out of here?” asked Van.

“It’s pretty simple!” said Impey cheerfully. “You have to sit like you’re flying and get to know your neighbor! I hear that’s what humans do on ‘Earth’. At least, that’s what Lupin tells me.”

“Sounds easy enough!” Fran agreed. He turned to Helsing. “What do you think?”

The man grunted. “Fine. Let’s do it.”

Van plopped down in the nearest window seat, and Victor shyly sat next to him. Immediately a charming robotic voice said, “Thank you for boarding! We’ll be taking off shortly, so please buckle your seatbelt.”

Fran did so quickly, which Helsing did so with a sigh. “Get to know your neighbor while we finish preparing for flight!” said the voice. A few cardboard people popped up at the seats, and Victor jumped when they started chatting amongst themselves. Van barely batted an eye.

Fran laughed awkwardly. What to say, what to say . . . oh! “You really know a lot about the train, huh Van?” he noted.

Helsing shrugged. “I’ve been here a while. Once you get used to it, it’s easy.”

“. . . How long have you been here?” asked Victor.

“Too long,” growled the other man. He balled his fist. “Once I find Finis again, I’m going to make him pay for wasting my time on this train. That’s the only reason I’m sticking around.”

“Finis?”

“Enough about me,” said Van abruptly. “Why are you on this train?”

“H-How should I know!” Victor stammered. “I mean, I know it’s about ‘self-improvement’, but I’m not sure what about myself I need to improve. . .”

“Well, there’s always something,” Helsing replied simply. “The train picks people for a reason.”

“So why did it pick _you_?”

The man hesitated, and Fran wondered if maybe he’d gone too far. Then Van finally said, “I . . . I did a lot of stupid shit when I was younger. Delinquent stuff. I was angry at the world. And now that I’m here, I’m angry at the train.”

“I’m sorry,” Victor said. Then he realized something. “Wait, _when_ did you get on this train exactly?”

Van sighed. “It’s probably been . . . a few years.”

“A few _years_!” the chemist screeched. “A-Am I going to be here for that long, too?!”

“I was only here for that long because I wanted to keep my number up,” snapped Van. “I told you the ropes, so you won’t be here for nearly that long, unless you’re stupid.”

“Oh.” Pause. “So, that’s what you meant by ‘learning things the hard way’?”

Helsing nodded. He reached out, and took off the glove of his right hand, showing it to Victor.

The chemist stared in shock. The number at the center of Van’s palm was 431. And there were other numbers branching off it, wrapping up his hand and going to his arm, making one very long digit. . .

“So, you’ll be leaving much quicker than me,” the man said roughly, putting his glove back on. “91 isn’t the best number to start with, but it isn’t too bad either. You’ll be just fine.”

“I’m so sorry.” Fran said quietly.

“Don’t be. It my own fault, for being stupid.”

Victor felt numb for a moment. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but that’s when he heard a loud _ding!_

“Flight is cleared for takeoff!” the robotic voice said. The cardboard people went away, and front of the cabin pealed back, revealing a train exit. “Have a safe trip.”

“Thank god,” muttered Van, bolting up from his chair. He marched quickly to the door, and Victor followed him as fast as he could. Cardia and Impey were already waiting at the exit, and Cardia opened it, standing aside so the men could go through.

“Thanks,” Victor said. Helsing didn’t say a word. They both walked through the door, and Cardia and Impey followed; the squirrel closed it behind them.

“So, now what?” snapped Van. “Do we plan on just following cars until we find your friends?”

Cardia hesitated. “Well. . .”

“You really don’t have a better plan, do you?” Helsing asked with a sigh.

“I’m sorry, I just can’t lose them!” said Cardia, tears welling in her eyes. “They’re all I have, ok?”

“Don’t worry, we’ll find them,” assured Victor. “I’m sure they’re around here somewhere.”

At that moment, he felt a strange sensation in his left hand, and looked down to see the number there flickering! A moment later, it was down to 87.

He gasped in excitement and showed it to Van. “D-Did you see?!”

“Yep,” Helsing replied dryly. “Now, should we get—” The man paused for a second, glancing around. “Wait . . . do you all hear that?”

“Hear what?” Impey asked.

At that moment, a loud clanging noise echoed above them, and the group looked at the top of the The Plane Car. Standing there was a large orb with metallic tentacles, and an eye that was staring right at the group.

“Oh,” squeaked Impey. “ _That_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 8 Prompt: Where Did Everybody Go?


	9. Saint

“Run!” ordered Helsing. The group bolted down the bridge, to the next train car. The eyeball came after them, crawling down the side of the train—when Victor turned around, one of the arms was reaching right for him! He screamed, and jumped forward just as robotic claws snatched at him.

“What is that?!” the chemist screamed, starting to panic.

“One of the conductor’s machines!” Van shouted back. “It usually goes around collecting materials from the cars—why is it after _us_?!”

 _This train has a conductor?!_ Victor thought. But now was not the time to be reflecting on such matters.

Helsing reached the door of the next car and swung it open. “Let’s go!” he said, dashing inside. The other three quickly ran in after him, and once the four were inside, Impey slammed the door behind them.

“And stay out!” the squirrel said proudly. “Nice job everyone!”

“Impey? Is that you?”

The new voice made Victor jump, and he turned around. First, he noticed that this car was some sort of desert location. Second, he saw that the person talking wasn’t a person at all . . . but a cat.

It was a very _elegant_ cat, to be sure, and unlike Impey, it was a normal size for a domestic feline. Its fur was a smooth gray color, and on its head was a feathered cap. Upon seeing Victor’s shocked expression, the cat smirked, and laughed elegantly. “My my, a new passenger, I see,” the animal said, laughing. “Why hello there. I am Saint Germain. Charming to meet you. And Van,” he said, looking into Helsing’s narrowed eyes, “how lovely to see you again.”

“Saint!” Cardia exclaimed, running up to the cat and holding out her arms for a hug. She embraced the cat, who purred and snuggled up against the fellow denizen’s cheek. Victor winced as the poison eroded at Saint Germain, but the animal didn’t seem to mind the loss of fur—it grew back a moment later, creating a constant cycle. “I thought I lost you! Are you ok?” Cardia asked. 

The cat hesitated. “Well. . .”

“Wait.” The poisoned woman stood looked around. “Where’s Lupin?”

Saint Germain sighed, fidgeting. “I’m afraid Lupin has been . . . taken.” 

“What?!” exclaimed Cardia. “By who?”

“I assume you met the machine outside?” asked the cat. “Well, it dove in and snatched our friend while we were going to scope out this car. I’ve been waiting for it to leave ever since—I do think your presence has scared it off. Oh, and it left a message for you, my dear.”

Saint Germain took off his hat and reached inside it, pulling out an envelope and holding it out to Cardia. The denizen took it from him and opened it swiftly, squinting at the contents.

“‘I’ve tried everything to make you return,’” she read. “‘Come to The Ballet Car if you ever want to see your precious human again, Cardia.’” She frowned at the bottom of the note. “It’s signed ‘Finis’.”

Upon hearing the familiar name, Victor turned to Van Helsing, and sure enough, the man was seething. “Let me see that,” Van snapped, snatching the letter from Cardia’s hands. He frowned upon reading the note and said, “That’s Finis’s handwriting, alright. But what does he want with you?”

“I don’t know!” exclaimed Cardia. “I’ve never met him before! And I don’t know what he means by ‘trying everything’ either!” She turned to the cat. “Saint Germain, do you know what he’s talking about?”

“Hmm. . .” The animal rubbed its chin and placed the hat back on its head. “We _have_ been chased more often by those machines lately. . . Finis might have something to do with that.”

“He _does_ have something to do with that, I’ll bet,” Helsing interrupted, surprising everyone in the group.

“Wait—do you know this Finis fellow?” asked Impey, getting into a fighting pose. “Are you a kidnapper too?!”

Van said nothing for a long moment. Then he sighed, and folded his arms. “Finis is bad news, understand?” he finally said. “That guy’s has some major power in the train. He’s manipulative and will do anything to get what he wants. I wouldn’t trust this letter at all if I were you.”

“But I can’t just leave my friend!” Cardia insisted. 

Van Helsing sighed, and rubbed his temples. “Look, whether you want to rescue your friend is on you. But don’t trust Finis.”

“I’m going,” Cardia said firmly.

“Are you going to come with us?” asked Victor.

“Only for my own reasons,” said Van. He turned to Victor with a frown. “Not that you even have to go—look at you, just got on the train and already caught up in denizen affairs. You’d probably be better off just continuing through the train cars yourself. Unless you want to be stuck here longer than you have to.”

The chemist hesitated. “M-Maybe you’re right. . .” he stammered, unable to bring himself to disagree with Van. Though he didn’t notice it, his number went up, until it was 89. He sighed. “But I can’t just let things lie. . . I’m coming too, ok?”

“Suit yourself,” Helsing grunted.

“Thank you both,” Cardia said, smiling splendidly at the two. She turned to her friends. “Saint Germain, Impey. You both ready?”

“Of course, Cardia!” the squirrel said, puffing out his chest.

“Absolutely, my dear,” replied the cat, licking one paw.

“Alright.” The poison denizen faced forward.

“Then let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 9 Prompt: For The Greater Good/”Run!”


	10. Lupin’s Predicament

“Shit. . .” Lupin struggled in his bonds, trying to break free. The gash on his knee was still hurting like hell, but he had to get out of here.

“Still trying that?” came a voice from the darkness. “Oh, you are too much.”

A tentacled machine hung from the ceiling like a spider, its one eye trained on the passenger. “Even after I cut you up, you still try to resist me?” it continued, laughing. “That’s just too cute.”

“Shut up!” yelled Lupin, writhing around in the chair. Somewhere in his magic act, he had learned the secret to breaking out of ropes like these—now, if only he could remember it! He had to admit, being on this train had dulled his memory. But to help Cardia, it was worth it.

“Looks like I need to give you another injury,” the machine said darkly. “Hold still—unless you want this to hurt more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 10 Prompt: They Look So Pretty When They Bleed


	11. Rescue In The Ballet Car

The group made their way back through The Plane Car and The Purple Forest Car. “The Ballet Car is there,” Cardia said, talking over the loud train wheels and pointing up ahead.

“Yeah, I remember that car,” Helsing said. “Definitely not a fun one—too many ways for us to get separated. You sure this is a good idea?”

“We have to help Lupin,” Cardia said firmly, marching forward. Victor watched the group advance, and walked behind them, terrified. Maybe Van was right, and he should have let things stay—who knew how dangerous this could be?

But then he thought of the way Cardia’s face brightened when she talked about her friends, about leaving the train, and a thought struck him. Lupin was one of her few hopes left here . . . just like Nemo had been to him, once upon a time. And if that could be protected, maybe it was worth the risk. Clenching a determined fist, the chemist caught up with everyone. On his palm, his number swirled, until it was down to 84.

Cardia opened the door to The Ballet Car and walked on in. Everyone followed, and when Victor entered, the door closed behind them. Looking around, the scientist saw they were in the parking lot of a beautiful house, whose front door was wide open.

“The puzzle here is that you have to dance out in the open, unashamed,” Van Helsing explained to Victor. “But that won’t come into play until we have to leave, I suppose.” The chemist nodded, and followed Cardia, who walked up to the door and took a deep breath.

“Ready, my dear?” Saint Germain asked.

“Ready,” the poison woman said firmly.

“Oh boy!” cried Impey. The three denizens walked forward, and the passengers followed.

Victor walked inside last, and once he was in, the door to the mansion slammed shut, causing the man to let out a surprised shout. “W-What’s going on?” he asked, turning to Van. “Is this normal?”

“We should have been greeted by the denizens by now,” Helsing muttered, looking around. But they were the only ones in the wide entrance hall. “Something is wrong.”

“Well well, look who it is. You decided to show up.”

An eerie voice interrupted Victor’s thoughts, and he looked up the staircase. At the top was one of those tentacled machines again, staring down intently with its eye. In one arm it held a chair, and man, a bit older than Victor, was tied to it, gagged and bleeding . . . and, from the looks of things, unconscious.

“LUPIN!” screamed Cardia. Her teeth bared, and she stared at the machine. “What have you done to him?!”

“Just a little damage, nothing major,” replied the machine, slinking its way down the stairs. “Enough to tell him his struggles were futile. . . Alright, and a few for fun.” A laugh escaped it, a strange, mechanical sound that produced whirs and whistles.

“So what do you want?” asked Cardia. Her voice was steady, but Fran could see that she was shaking. “You’ve apparently been . . . chasing me?”

“That’s right.” The machine laughed again. It reached the bottom of the stairs and stood there, a few yards away from the group. Then it reared up to full height, towering over the five by at least a few meters. “I’ve been looking for you. But you kept on running and running, happy to be anywhere but the mansion. So, I decided to draw you out instead.”

“Ok, you found me!” shouted Cardia. “Now let Lupin go!”

“Very well. But first. . .” Its eye tilted and focused. For a moment Victor was confused as to what it was looking it, but then he turned around, and realized the machine was staring directly at Van Helsing.

  


“Van,” said the monster, “be a dear and help me like old times, won’t you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 11 Prompt: Psych 101


	12. Finis

“Van?” Victor said fearfully. “What is it talking about?”

“Never,” Helsing snapped to the machine. “I don’t follow your orders anymore.”

It laughed. “Oh please. I know how much you loved being my left-hand man. How much you enjoyed the pain of denizens.”

“What?” Cardia said softly. She turned to Helsing. “You did. . .?”

Van ignored her, and shook his head at the tentacled machine, gritting his teeth. “Enough.”

“The cries of innocent passengers,” it continued.

“I said enough.”

“You loved it. You just didn’t love staying here.” The machine cackled, and its voice became more distorted the more it laughed. “Now, are you going to do what you’re best at?”

“ENOUGH!” screamed Van Helsing. He grabbed the harpoon gun from behind his back and aimed at the eye, gritting his teeth. “SHUT UP, FINIS!”

“Finis?!” Victor exclaimed. He looked at the machine in surprise. Wait . . .that . . . _thing_ was the one Helsing was so worried about? The one threatening Cardia? Not even a living being, but a mechanical one?

Finis laughed and laughed, seemingly unable to stop. “It’s thanks to you I learned so much about this train, Van,” he said. “And now, my sister and I will finally give the power he deserves to—”

A loud _slash_ cut through the machine’s sentence. The eye blinked in surprise, and then the whole thing collapsed, falling forward and landing on the ground in a heap. The chair holding Lupin fell to the floor, thankfully not breaking in the process. Behind the machine’s head was a tall shelf, and on that shelf hung a familiar cat.

“I do hate ramblers,” Saint Germain said, giving the group a smile and flexing his claws. “If only he could get to the point.”

He hopped down from the shelf and landed on the ground. “Is everyone alright?” the cat asked.

“Lupin!” Cardia yelled, running up to the tied-up passenger. Impey went with her, she anxiously shook the human, then felt for a heartbeat on his wrist. “He’s alive,” Cardia finally declared, relieved. The poisonous denizen whirled around and marched up to Van Helsing. “You have some explaining to do.”

“You really think I was working with him?” asked Van, letting out an exhausted sigh. “You denizens can be so foolish sometimes.”

“Maybe you’re not working with him now, but he knew you, didn’t he?!” exclaimed Cardia. “So explain yourself.”

“Or what?” growled Van.

That surprised her, and she bit her lip. “Or . . . Or. . .” She reached to take off one of her gloves.

“Van, just tell her, please!” Victor exclaimed, wanting to break up the fighting, wanting it to stop. He glanced over at Saint and Impey, and noticed how tense the other two denizens were. “What do you have to hide?”

The man hesitated for a moment. Then he sighed, and put his harpoon gun on his back. “Fine. But only because I promised you I’d tell you about your father,” he said. “Though perhaps I offered too much for too little. . .”

“Wait, my father?” Cardia frowned. “What does he have to do with this?”

Van glanced at her with mild surprise. “So you truly haven’t figured it out yet? After all this time? Unbelievable.” He shook his head. “Let me tell you something. Those machines like the one we just took down, with the eye . . . those are only made by the conductor of the train.”

“So?” Impey asked, confused.

“What does that have to do with anything?” asked Victor.

Saint Germain said nothing.

“ _Finis_ was created by the conductor,” Van Helsing said to them. “And if my hunch is right, Cardia, so were you.”

Cardia’s eyes widened. “So what you’re saying is that the conductor. . .?”

“Yes. The conductor is your father.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 12 Prompt: I Think I’ve Broken Something (I interpreted it as Broken Trust)


	13. 431’s Past

That’s crazy,” Cardia said, turning away and pacing back and forth. “Why would my father be the one who runs this train?”

“Your description of him matches that of the conductor,” Helsing replied, folding his arms. “Not to mention there’s . . . other clues.”

“Other clues?” she asked, confused. “Like what?”

“That’s what I’m getting to,” Van said, letting out a _tsk_.

“So out with it.”

“Fine.” Helsing sighed. Victor saw the man hesitate for a moment, before he finally spoke again. “I didn’t want to say this, but I’ve actually . . . met you. Or at least, some sort of version of you.”

“What?” Cardia frowned. “But I’ve never met _you_. That doesn’t make any sense.”

“I didn’t think so either,” Van replied, grunting. “But I know I’ve seen your face before, in other beings, in other lives. And given what I know about Finis, and about the conductor . . . I think you were created for the train, just like Finis was.”

He paused for a moment, watching the group’s reaction. “Why I don’t know. All I know is that I’ve seen you in other denizens on this train—and those denizens weren’t nearly as . . . _stable_ as you are.”

“So how do you even know Finis?” asked Victor.

“Yeah!” exclaimed Impey. “What’s your connection?”

Van Helsing sighed. “You really want to know, huh?”

“If you don’t tell us,” Cardia said, “then I don’t know if I can trust you. And I want to trust you.”

The man grumbled for a moment, and closed his eyes. Victor felt he had to speak up. “I . . .um. . .” He fidgeted for a moment. “I want to trust you too, Van,” he finally said, gulping. “Please, could you tell us?”

Helsing sighed, and he finally nodded. When he opened his eyes again, Victor was surprised to see a look of genuine pain. Van took a deep breath, in and out. Then he began.

“Finis is the reason I’m stuck on this train,” the man explained. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. “When I first came here, he found me, and told me that the best thing I could do for myself was to get my number up. That those who did so were in the conductor’s favor, and he had a group solely for the purpose of carrying that favor, using its authority to judge the train in the conductor’s place.”

He folded his arms. “I wanted power, and it didn’t take much to convince me then. So I kept following Finis, and his little group, the Apex. Even as I watched countless passengers reach zero, I didn’t let that stop me. Not until he betrayed me.”

“What happened?” Cardia asked.

“I came across Finis talking with his right-hand man, Aleister,” Helsing explained. “Realized things didn’t add up the way he was saying them. Confronted him, expected a clear answer that would explain everything. But he blindsided me instead.

“Finis told me that the reason he founded the Apex in the first place was to have a ‘group of humans to worship my father’. And that I was no longer worthy.” Van closed his eyes. “So he left me behind to die in The Furnace Car. Tried to trap me in a labyrinth of my memories. When I finally managed to get out, I ran like hell and never looked back.”

There was a long silence. “Holy shit,” Victor finally said. He walked up and embraced Van, squeezing the man tight. He could barely find words, but he managed to say, “I’m so sorry that happened to you.”

“Eh.” Van awkwardly patted the chemist’s back, and then quickly removed himself from the hug.

There was a moment of silence. “So the conductor is . . . a creator?” asked Cardia. “And he made Finis, and me?”

Helsing nodded. “Finis was definitely made by the conductor—he told me himself. And I have a strong feeling you were, too.”

“But what does he want with me?”

Van shrugged. “All I know is that Finis is hell-bent on making the conductor stronger, no matter the cost. And judging by the way he was talking, you’re part of the key to that.”

Cardia nodded. “I see. But at least Finis won’t be a threat anymore. . .”

Helsing sighed. “Not quite.”

“What do you mean?” Victor asked.

“The conductor is a creator, remember?” Van said. “He’s made plenty of Finises—I’ve seen the copies of that machine with my own eyes.” He shook his head. “He’ll be after us again soon, in a new body.”

“T-That’s crazy!” Victor stammered. He glanced at the dead machine, looking at the lifeless mechanical eye. “So even if we defeat him, he’ll come back?”

Van nodded. “Precisely.”

Silence. And then, a groan interrupted the group. All of them turned to Lupin, who was now stirring in his chair.

“Lupin!” cried Cardia, bending down to meet his eyes. “Are you awake now?”

“I think so,” the man replied, laughing and wincing. “Can you untie me?”

“Of course.”


	14. Lupin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 14 Prompt: Is Something Burning? [chose to interpret as burning anger]

As Cardia burned through the rope with her poison, Victor studied the new passenger. He had sloppy brown hair that ran down to his neck, and bright, cheerful eyes that were filled with pain. Currently, he was covered with bruises and scars. . .

Wanting to help, Victor walked over and helped Cardia, untying the remaining ropes. “Thank you,” the poison denizen said, giving the chemist a smile. Victor nodded, then looked back at Lupin. The man seemed to be in a lot of pain. . . What exactly had Finis done to him?

When the ropes were gone, Cardia and Victor stood back, and Lupin flashed them a smile. “Thanks,” he said, and gave Victor a nod. “Good to see Cardia’s found more passenger allies.” He stood up, shaky on his feet, and extended a hand. “I’m Arsène Lupin. Nice to meet you.”

“Victor Frankenstein,” Victor said, shaking his hand. When they let go, Victor’s eyes widened when he saw the man’s number.

“84, huh?” Lupin noted, giving the scientist a reassuring smile. “That’s not bad. You’ll be out of here in no time.”

“Y-You’re at zero!” Victor exclaimed.

“What?!” Van shouted sharply, marching forward and shoving Victor aside. “Let me see.”

“Alright, stranger.” Lupin shrugged and showed his hand to them, letting the two study it more thoroughly. Sure enough, a glowing green 0 was on his palm.

“So you got your exit,” mutter Helsing. He glared at Lupin, and pointed his finger in the man’s face. “What are you still doing on the train, then?”

Lupin looked intimidated by Van, but managed to say, “I promised I’d help Cardia find her father. I’m not leaving until we do.”

“Why would you do that?!” shouted Helsing. He narrow his eyes, and Victor saw rage burning within. “Not everyone gets their exit, you know. And once you get to zero, your exit door doesn’t exactly tag along with you. You’d risk never finding your exit again for a denizen?”

“Well, I’m not sure what you mean by denizen,” said Lupin hesitantly. “But I know that I made a promise, and I intend to keep it.”

Van sighed, and shook his head, turning away from the man. “You’re crazy.”

“No, I’m Arsène Lupin,” he replied, laughing. “Who are you?”

Van said, “It doesn’t matter,” the same time Victor said, “He’s Van Helsing.” The scientist received a glare.

“I assume you’re here to help Cardia, too?” Lupin asked.

“I’m here to find the conductor, and make him get me off this train,” Van snapped. “That’s the only reason I came with: to find a lead.”

Victor’s eyes widened in surprise, and he realized, “Then we have the same goal, don’t we?” He winced at Helsing’s glare, but said, “Cardia wants to find her father, who is the conductor.” At that, Lupin’s eyes widened in surprise, but Victor continued nevertheless. “And you want to make the conductor get you off this train. All of us want to find the conductor, so—”

“I see your point,” snapped Van. “So you want me to come with you, is that it?”

Victor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

“I don’t know if _I_ want him to come with us,” Impey said, folding his little arms. “He’s mean!”

“But Van knows a lot about the train,” Victor argued. “He can help.”

“That’s a fair point,” Saint Germain chimed in.

“And what will you do for me?” Helsing asked, looking around at the group. “What can you provide me that will make me come along on your little journey? Because as far as I’m concerned, you’ll just slow me down.”

Victor thought for a minute. What _could_ they give Van? To his surprise, it was Cardia who found the answer.

“If I’m the conductor’s . . . daughter, then that means I’ll have some leverage with him,” she said firmly. Van’s eyes widened with realization and surprise. “So maybe I can make him get you off this train.”

For a moment, Helsing looked thoughtful. Finally, he nodded. “You’re right,” the man muttered. “ _Fine_. I’ll come with you, then.”

Lupin laughed. “Well, this is going to be interesting.” He looked over at the poison denizen with a grin. “Right, Cardia?”

She nodded. “Yes.

“Let’s go.”


	15. At The Engine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 15 Prompt: Into The Unknown

Isaac Beckford noticed the beeping on his screen and frowned. “Finis,” the man muttered, tapping at the computer monitor. “Why do you continue to disappoint me?”

As the robotic form of Finis died, his software zipped through the connection lines Isaac had set up, and returned to the screen. “Father!” exclaimed an excited voice, shouting from the speakers. “I have returned!”

“Tell me what you found,” Isaac ordered, typing apathetically. “You failed your mission. Where is Cardia?”

“I tried to draw her out,” Finis said, sounding angry. “But she was rescued by a group of passengers and denizens! Her little friends, the ones I’ve been watching, and some new ones, too. One of them tore the main power line out of my body.”

“I see.” Isaac frowned.

“But I know she’s looking for you,” Finis continued. “So I’m sure she’ll be here before long, father! I’m sure of it.”

“You don’t know anything,” the man said angrily, letting out a sigh. “Tell me about the passengers. Could you spot them in the database?”

“Certainly, father,” Finis said.

“Excellent.”

Isaac brought up the list of passengers and typed a few keys. A moment later, the list was uploaded into Finis, and the robotic being got all the names in under a second. “I’ve been tracking her ‘Arsène Lupin’,” said Finis, a scowl in his voice.

“The one who’s at zero,” said Isaac, nodding. “Go on. Who else?”

“Abraham Van Helsing seems to be an ally of hers now.”

“The one from your little group.”

Finis bristled. “Father, I’ve told you, the Apex is for you! I—”

“Yes, yes, I’m well aware.” He sighed, impatient with the robot’s ramblings. “Who else?”

“The last one is named ‘Victor Frankenstein,” Finis said. “He’s a new passenger, just got on the train.”

“What’s his number now?”

“84.”

“Hmm.” Isaac rubbed his chin, trying to formulate a plan. Then, he had an idea. “Play all their memories for me, and tell me what you know about them. After we get their location, we can discuss a plan.”

“And then you’ll upload me to a new body?” Finis asked hopefully.

“Of course.”

“I’ll get their memories from the boarding database.” With that, Finis was gone, zipping through the connection lines once again.

Isaac smiled, and continued typing.

“Soon, my beloved daughter. We’ll be together again soon.”


	16. The Mysterious Path Car

The group exited the mansion, and after a bit of dancing from all the passengers (Fran was quite shy about it, but he noticed that Lupin did great ballet, and Van knew some ballroom), the exit door opened. “Where are we going?” Fran asked.

“Back to The Plane Car,” Cardia said. “We can regroup and plan our route.”

Fran nodded, and said nothing more. In fact, the walk back to The Plane Car was spent in relative silence, aside from Impey, who was chattering with Lupin. “I’m telling you, my new engine is going to be amazing!” the squirrel exclaimed. “Once I finish it, we’ll be able to zip from car to car in no time at all.”

“Really?” Lupin exclaimed. “That sounds pretty helpful.”

“As if that idiot could invent something like that,” Van butted in.

“You’re just jealous!” said Impey, puffing out his chest. “You’ll see! My new engine is going to save the day!”

Helsing rolled his eyes, but said nothing. At that moment, they entered the Purple Forest Car, and started walking through.

Victor noticed that Lupin was still limping, and he came next to the man. “Want to lean on me?” he asked.

“I’ll take you up on that,” the other passenger said. The two men wrapped their arms around each other, and Lupin leaned on Fran’s side as they walked.

“. . . So, how’d you meet Cardia?” asked Victor. A few yards ahead, the poisonous denizen was chatting with Saint Germain, and a proud Impey. Between them, Van was walking, hands in his pockets.

“I don’t really like to talk about it,” Lupin admitted. “But when I first got on this train, she saved my life. And I’m grateful to her for that.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah.” The man smiled. “So I can’t just abandon her, even if my number’s at zero. I want to help her find her father. Then, I can go back home.”

“I see.”

There was a pause. Then Lupin said, “So . . . the _conductor’s_ her father?”

Fran nodded. “That’s what Van Helsing thinks, anyway,” he said, glancing over at the other man. 

“That’s crazy.” Lupin shook his head, then looked up. “Hey! Grumpy guy!”

Van turned around with a snarl. “You talking to me?”

“Yeah!” He gestured for Helsing to come closer. “I have something to say to you.”

Van sighed. Then he slowed his pace, and let Lupin and Victor catch up to him. “What?”

Lupin hesitated, then said, “I wanted to say thank you.”

“ _What_?!

“We’ve been searching for her father for so long, and for her to just have a lead like this is . . . amazing.” He looked up at Van. “So . . . thanks. I appreciate it, and I’m sure Cardia does too.”

Helsing shrugged, but Victor noticed he was blushing, just a little. “It’s nothing.”

They reached the exit of the Purple Forest Car, and Cardia stopped at the door, waiting for them. “Everyone ok?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Lupin said, flashing her a thumbs-up and a smile. “All good.” He gave Fran a nod, and said, “I think I can walk on my own now. Thanks.”

“No problem.” Victor let go of the man, and Lupin gave him a nod before limping up to Cardia.

Impey opened the exit door, and started to walk outside. “Ok!” the squirrel exclaimed cheerfully. “Let’s go—”

He turned forward, and let out a surprised squeak. “Look!”

Victor looked up. To his surprise, the bridge between the cars was retreating backwards, going back into the train! Panicked, he ran forward, but it was too late—the bridge was already gone.

“Our home base,” Cardia said, sounding scared. “How are we supposed to get to it now?”

Then, before their eyes, the Plane Car started moving _upwards_. Clinging to the car behind it, it rolled upward, and a moment later, it had zipped off into the distance.

Fran shook his head. This train just kept getting weirder.

A moment later, the car returned, rolling back down into the spot where it had left, and then, the bridge came back. It was as if nothing happened.

“Well, that’s quite the relief,” Saint Germain said, smiling. “Shall we continue?”

“Wait,” Van snapped. Everyone turned toward him, and he walked forward, staring at the car ahead. “I don’t trust this.”

“Well, we don’t have much of a choice, now do we?” Cardia said. “Not if we want to move forward.”

“She has a point,” Lupin said. “Come on, Van. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Bad things always happen when someone says _that_ ,” muttered Helsing. But he moved forward nevertheless, and the group followed, with Fran in the back.

When Van reached the door, he opened it, and stepped aside. “This your home base?” he said sarcastically.

Sure enough, the car ahead of them wasn’t the Plane Car, or anything resembling it. Instead, ahead of them was a pathway, lit up only by ominous blue lanterns.

“So, you want to do this?” Van asked, sighing. Cardia nodded, and he walked inside the car without saying a word. The others followed, and when Fran was inside, the door slammed shut.

“Welcome,” a calm, robotic voice said, startling Victor completely.

Saint Germain ducked behind Victor, meowing. Cardia’s eyes widened in shock. “F-Father?!” she stammered, looking around frantically. “Is that you?”

So that was what Cardia’s father sounded like! Fran continued to listen as the voice spoke. “I am leaving this recording for the six of you. Listen well, as it will not be repeated.

“You have my daughter, Cardia.”

 _So it’s true_ , Victor realized, glancing at Van. 

“You will let her return to me peacefully, so I can use her for my own needs,” the conductor said. “If you do not, there will be consequences.”

“Use me?” Cardia echoed, looking pale.

“Allow me to demonstrate.”

There was a loud whirring noise, and something big blocked the front of their path. Then, it switched on, and revealed itself to be a screen.

Van’s eyes widened. “Everyone!” he yelled. “Don’t—”

The screen turned on, showing static. And suddenly, Victor was sucked inside.

He was flung forward, into the television, hurling through the sky at light speed. Flickers of memories passed him by as he was thrown through a sea of white, and Fran cried out.

Then, he was sucked in somewhere else, and was on the ground. Groaning, he sat up—and stopped.

There was Nemo.


	17. The History of 91

“N-Nemo?!” Victor stammered, springing up from the ground. “Why are you. . . I can explain. . . Please understand I—”

“Hey there, handsome,” Nemo said, a familiar smirk on his face. “You’re late.”

He was looking behind Fran. The man turned around—and was surprised to see _himself_ standing there, wearing the outfit he had worn on their first date.

“I-I am?!” second Victor stammered, looking nervous. That nervousness was familiar to familiar—he had been here before, right? Then the chemist realized: this _was_ their first date, wasn’t it?

He watched second Victor approach Nemo, who laughed warmly. “Is this . . . some kind of memory?” he muttered, confused.

Suddenly, everything around him flickered, making the man scream out in surprise. Then, the world came back, and he looked around. Second Victor was sitting with Nemo on the university steps, head in his boyfriend’s lap, Nemo stroking his hair tenderly. Fran smiled as he watched the scene.

“What are your dreams for the future?” Nemo asked second Victor.

“That’s easy,” the man replied, laughing. “I’d love to get hired somewhere to pursue electrochemistry. How about you?”

“Aside from finishing my plans for the _Nautilus_ program,” Nemo said, stroking his chin, “I think I’d like to get married someday.”

Fran’s heart skipped a beat, just like it did back then. “M-Married to who?” second Fran stammered, blushing.

“Come on, you’re my boyfriend,” Nemo teased, leaning down with a grin. “You should already know who.”

They kissed, and Victor remembered the taste of it from that day: salty and wet and _trusting_ , something he cherished. He closed his eyes. Looking at these old memories was nostalgic, comforting. As long as he didn’t go _there_ , he would be fine.

He felt a flickering sensation, opened his eyes again—and immediately winced. It was as if the memories knew what he was thinking, because there _it_ was. Fran backed up, feeling cornered, and looked for a way to escape.

“You’re so handsome,” Nemo said, drunk as he carried second Victor in his arms. “I’m lucky to have such a cool boyfriend.

Second Fran laughed. “Why, thank you.” Nemo leaned down and forced a kiss into his mouth, and Victor turned away, blushing. He always hated when Nemo did that. But Nemo always talked about how cute he was when he was surprised, and wouldn’t he be a bad boyfriend if he refused?

Nemo brought second Fran back to the dorm, and real Fran gulped. “No, no, no,” Victor muttered, shaking his head. “Please, don’t take me—”

Too late. A flicker later, he was in their dorm bedroom. _Not again._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 17 Prompt: I Did Not See That Coming


	18. That Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warning: Implied rape/sexual assault, panic attacks

Victor shook his head, more fiercely this time. “Nothing happened,” he said firmly, though gritted teeth. “Nothing at all. . . Nothing!”

He watched as memory Nemo walked to the bed, put second Fran on top of the sheets, and flopped down into it, falling asleep instantly. Victor breathed a sigh of relief. That was the version he wanted to believe, the version he wanted to have happen. But in the back of his mind, he knew it wasn’t true. . .

As if reacting to him, the memory rewinded, and Victor watched in amazement as Nemo reversed from the bed, going back to the doorway. Then the memory played again, and Fran watched his boyfriend laugh, dropping second Victor onto the bed. “You’re toooooo cute,” the scientist said to second Fran, laughing and stroking his cheeks. “I could just eat you up. . .”

“No, no, no,” Victor muttered. He was starting to hyperventilate, and his heart pounded loudly in his chest. “Nothing happened. N-Nothing. . .”

The memory paused. Fran looked up in surprise and relief, staring at frozen Nemo and the other version of him. Second Victor had no idea what was coming. . .

He shook his head. He didn’t want to think about what had happened that night. Not anymore. But his breathing kept getting louder, and his panic continued to rise. Before he knew it, he had collapsed onto the floor and curled into a ball, gasping and shaking.

Behind him, he heard the memory continue to play. “Stop that, Nemo,” second Fran said, laughing awkwardly. “It’s late, and you’re drunk. Let’s just go to sleep. . .”

“C’mon,” Nemo said. There was a zipping sound as the scientist forced second Fran’s pants off.

“No, no, please!” Victor gasped. Tears ran down his cheeks. “No!” 

He covered his ears, but even that didn’t stop the memory. “What are you doing?” second Fran asked, giggling—trying to play along with Nemo, like he usually did. “Give me back my pants.”

“Sorry, there’s mine now,” Nemo replied, laughing. “And I like to take what’s mine. . .”

“NO!” Fran screamed. “STOP IT! STOP IT! NOTHING HAPPENED!”

He hugged his body tight, trying his best to breathe as it all came rushing back. He could feel Nemo’s hands climbing up his body, pressing hard against his chest and going between his legs to fondle him. All the while, the second Fran said, “Nemo, stop. . . Please. . .”

Victor squeezed his eyes shut, still refusing to believe this had happened—this was nothing more than a bad dream. Nemo hadn’t really . . . done that to him. “Nothing happened,” he said again, though he was believing that less and less. “N-Nothing. . .”

Silence. When he opened his eyes, he realized the memory was gone. He was in some kind of white room with static on its walls, and when he looked in the static, he could see memories. Nemo and him, walking across campus. Nemo and him, enjoying their latest scientific experiment. Nemo and him, kissing after the man’s forced his tongue inside his mouth yet again.

Shaking, Victor stood up from the ground, taking deep breaths, trying to regain his composure. “Don’t panic,” he muttered. “There has to be a way out of here. . .”

That’s when he saw them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 18 Prompt: Panic! At The Disco


	19. Facing The Truth

Standing behind him, in the white room, was the group. “What?” Victor muttered, blinking in surprise. But no, Cardia and the others were there. And the only one who would meet his eyes was Van. “I-Is this a memory too?” he thought out loud.

“Not quite,” Saint Germain said, walking forward. “When your memories got played, Victor, I’m afraid we got tugged in too. I’m sorry to tell you that we saw . . . everything you did.” The cat frowned, and turned away. “Though we weren’t able to communicate with you until now, despite my efforts—I don’t think you could see us, either.”

It took a minute for Victor to process what Saint was saying. “Oh,” he said quietly. _So they also saw. . .?_

Just thinking about it was enough to get him to hyperventilate again, and he hugged himself, trying to catch his breath. Cardia ran up to him and put her gloved hands on his shoulders, “Victor, breathe,” she said to him, her voice soothing and calm. “Breathe, ok?”

Fran nodded. But before he knew it, he was laughing, long and hard. The group looked at him in surprise, but the scientist said, “You saw that. . . I can’t believe it.” Tears ran down his face. “Fuck. . .”

“Listen to me closely, Victor.” Van Helsing’s voice was as gruff as ever, but there was a gentleness to it this time. “ _We_ can leave your memories at any time—but _you’ll_ be stuck here—unless you accept them.”

“Accept them?”

“You have to stop changing your memories and accept them as they are,” the man explained. “And accept what they’re telling you to do next.”

Victor said nothing.

“If you don’t, you’ll be trapped here,” Van continued. “And trust me, that’s not a fun experience.”

“I—”

The static flickered, and suddenly, the room was filled with versions of him and Nemo, walking and talking and being together, and Victor felt like throwing up. He teetered on his feet, and just as he was about to fall over completely, someone grabbed him from behind, catching him.

“Easy, buddy,” Lupin said, helping Fran regain his balance. “I got you.”

Victor stood back up, mumbling his thanks, and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself. “I-I don’t think I _can_ accept it,” he told Van, wincing at the thought. “I don’t want to. . .”

“Maybe that’s why the train brought you here,” the man replied. “To give you the space to do so.”

The scientist laughed. “How cruel. . .”

Victor looked around at all the versions of him and Nemo, all the memories of loving and being loved, and being taken advantage of. He spotted forced kisses, uncomfortable grabs he went along with—all those little moments he had tried to hold down were suddenly in front of him, undeniable.

Tears ran down the scientist’s face, and he sobbed into his hands, unable to control himself. Arms wrapped around him, and when he looked up, Lupin was hugging him from behind, and Cardia was hugging him from the side. Van let out a huge sigh, then walked forward, wrapping his arms around Victor. Even Impey and Saint Germain got in on the embrace, rubbing against Victor’s leg.

“It wasn’t my fault,” he asked them quietly. “Was it?”

“That kind of thing is never your fault,” Lupin said firmly.

“He’s right,” Van said.

Victor nodded, pondering as he let himself be embraced. Just asking that question was a step into acknowledging the incident. . . Was he ready for that? He didn’t _feel_ ready, that was for sure. And if Van was right, and the train had brought him here for that reason, then was it . . . blaming him? For not leaving sooner?

The hug released, but the group around him stayed. They waited patiently as he searched for the right words.

“I-I know I need to leave him,” Fran admitted shakily. “But I’m so scared to say no to him. . .”

“What are you scared of?” Van asked.

“I-I don’t know!” Victor stammered. “I love him to much. . . I don’t want to let go of that!”

“It sounds like you have to,” Lupin said gently. “For your sake.”

_For my sake. . ._

He hadn’t been expecting that. How much had he thought about what _he_ needed in his and Nemo’s relationship? He had been so focused on what his partner wanted, so much that it hurt.

But for his sake, he had to let go.

He looked around him, at all the memories of him and Nemo, and took a deep breath. “It. . . It did happen, didn’t it?” he murmured, not talking to anyone in particular. Saint Germain rubbed up against his leg, and he bent down, petting the cat, feeling numb—but also determined.

Victor breathed in and out. He had to let go of the relationship he wanted from Nemo. Because what he actually had with the man . . . was unsustainable, and would only break him. _How am I just realizing this now? I feel like such an idiot._

He shook his head, crying again. And he started to let go.

Though he didn’t see it, his number flickered, and decreased rapidly. And Fran was suddenly flung up into the air, and he cried out as his hand was pried away from Saint Germain. Memories flew past him as he zipped in the air, and he held on tight.

And then, before he knew it, he was back. The scientist opened his eyes, blinking, and realized he was staring at the television screen again. Looking around, he saw the group was still there, and they were all staring at him.

“Was that real?!” he asked.

Van nodded. “Unfortunately, yes.” He smiled. “I’m glad you could get out.”

“. . . Me too.”

The television screen went away, revealing the path once again. “L-Let’s go,” Victor said, looking forward. “I don’t want to be in here anymore than we have to.”

“I can agree there,” Lupin said. He paused, then said, “I’m sorry, Victor. I wish we hadn’t seen that.”

“Though I am curious as to why the conductor showed us your memories,” Saint Germain purred as the group started moving.

“To tell us that if we don’t cooperate, there will be consequences,” Cardia said sadly. “I didn’t know my father was like that. . .”

“I’m sorry, Cardia,” Impey said, climbing up onto her shoulder and hugging her face.

“I didn’t like what he said about wanting to use you,” Lupin said, shaking his head. “Your father doesn’t sound like the most . . . pleasant person.”

“But I still want to go to him,” Cardia said, looking forward. “I have so much I want to ask him. . . I have to know. Especially if he can get us off this train.”

“Then we move forward,” Victor said, feeling determined. “We’ll protect you from your father. And we’ll get the answers you need.”

The poisonous denizen looked surprise, and she smiled. “Thank you. You just went though so much, and yet you’re thinking of me, too.

“Let’s keep moving. I promise your efforts won’t be in vain.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 19 Prompt: Broken Hearts


	20. Between The Train Cars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Alt Prompt: Falling

They reached the car’s exit only a minute later. Though Victor hadn’t spotted any type of “puzzle”, he decided to check the door—and to his surprise, the door swung open. “Huh,” he muttered, turning to Van, who looked equally surprised.

“Be careful,” Helsing warned them. They all started walking across the bridge. “The conductor tried to trap Victor in there, I’m sure of it. He might have other things planned for us.”

“Oh, how perceptive of you.”

Finis’s voice startled the group, and Victor looked up. The mechanical being was hanging off of the next train car, one eye staring menacingly down at them. Van immediately got out his harpoon gun, and Saint Germain hissed disapprovingly at their enemy.

“So, you escaped,” the robot continued, sounding disappointed. “And here I was thinking we could pick you off one by one, or at least turn you against that pathetic excuse for a human.” Victor winced, and he felt panic rising in him yet again. “No matter.”

The tentacled monster climbed off of the car, and was on the bridge in a second, blocking their escape. “Now, give me my sister,” Finis ordered. “Or else.”

“You called me your sister before,” Cardia realized. “Does that mean we’re both . . . related? Because the conductor created us?”

“Precisely,” the robot replied.

“Why did he create us?!” she asked frantically. “Please, I need to know!”

“I will tell you everything,” Finis said, a smile in his voice. “But only if you come with me.”

Cardia stepped forward—but then hesitated. “What did father mean about wanting to use me?” she asked her brother. “Am I just a . . . _tool_ to him?”

Finis said nothing. Instead, the robot lunged forward, arms outstretched for Cardia.

Immediately, Lupin ran in front of her, and Finis let out an angry, robotic shout. He landed on the ground in front of them, and swiped hard at Lupin with four arms. Before the human could react, he was hit, and Lupin slammed against the rail of the bridge, stumbling.

Victor grabbed the man before he fell off, steadying him. Then they turned to take on Finis.

“Sister, why are you resisting?!” the robot asked angrily. “I know you want to see Father. I can take you to him! Let me!”

“I want to see him on my own terms!” Cardia said angrily. “Is that so wrong?”

Finis laughed. “You don’t have a choice anymore,” he said darkly. “I—”

Van’s harpoon gun suddenly sailed through the air, and sliced through one of the robot’s arms. Finis cried out in shock, and Victor watched as the arm plummeted down to the ground, and got shredded by one of the train’s wheels.

“Why you little. . .!” Finis turned to Van Helsing, his one eye burning with rage. “You dare defy me like this?!”

“I know how you fight,” Van said calmly, not turning away from the mechanical being. “And I think you’re holding back.”

“What?!”

“Is it because of Cardia? It is, right?” Helsing smirked. “How funny. . . Even you have your weaknesses, don’t you?”

“That’s enough!” Finis marched forward, arms outstretched. Sharp fingers extended from the ends, ready to slice through the group.

But Cardia stepped forward and ran in front of them, causing the robot to stumble. He stopped walking, put his weapons away. When he reached one arm out, it was almost tender.

“Sister,” he said gently. “Come with me, and we will go to father together. This is the right choice.”

Cardia hesitated, then said, “Come closer. I need to tell you something.”

“Of course.” The robot bent down, so that his eye (or head?) was right in front of her. “Anything.” 

Cardia said nothing. Instead, she quickly took off her gloves, and grabbed the back of Finis’s head.

“Y-You!” Her poison melted through the metal, quickly tearing through the wires. A moment later, all life left the eyeball, and it fell lifelessly off of the train, until it was shredded by the wheel.

Victor stared at Cardia, shocked. She turned to the group, and said quietly, “I figured if he’s holding back because of me, we might have an opening.”

Van nodded. “Good thinking.”

She nodded, then said quietly, “Am I . . . right to want to see my father, even if he might be a bad person? I’m not so sure about him anymore.”

“Don’t worry,” Lupin soothed her, walking forward and putting his hands on Cardia’s shoulders. “No matter what, we’ll find out your father’s true intentions. On your own terms.”

The poisonous denizen nodded, then looked at the rest of the group. “Ok.” She smiled. “And I want you all to see the conductor too, after all. So you passengers can get off the train—and hopefully, I can to.”

“I’m sure your father can get you off,” assured Victor.

“We’ll see,” said Van, a small smile on his face.

“Yeah! And maybe I can show the conductor my awesome engineering skills!” Impey chimed in.

Cardia giggled. “That sounds nice.”

“Agreed.” Saint Germain let out a happy purr. “Let’s continue, shall we?”


	21. To Get A Job Done Right . . .

Isaac Beckford waited for Finis to return, smiling at the thought of seeing his daughter again. Hopefully that passenger’s memories were also enough to persuade her little group that resisting him was a futile idea. And if it split them up, all the better.

He expected Finis to come back in his mechanical body. But instead, the computer beeped to show that his creation had been killed once again, and Finis’s software returned to the mainframe.

“You failed,” Isaac said simply.

“Father, I’m sorry!” Finis cried. “I didn’t expect Cardia to destroy my main power supply. Give me a minute to recover, and then I—”

“No,” the man snapped. “You’ve tried to retrieve my daughter, and both times you have failed. It’s time for me to take matters into my own hands.”

“Father, please!” the robot begged. “At least give me a new body—you know I don’t feel whole without one; I—”

“Consider staying in there your punishment,” Isaac said firmly. “You can think about how you failed me. Come up with a way to help me with my goals, and I’ll consider giving you your body back.”

“. . . Very well, Father,” Finis said sadly.

The man typed a few keystrokes, finding the car he needed and clicking the proper buttons to relocate it. 

He was tired of waiting. So, he would see Cardia, and then, he could finally fulfill his plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 21 Prompt: I don’t feel so well.


	22. The Fortune Car

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 22 Prompt: Do These Tacos Taste Funny To You?/Drugged

The group walked across the bridge, and Lupin opened the door to the next car. “Check this out,” he said, stepping aside for the others. Victor cautiously looked inside.

There was a beautiful starry sky above, and below, there was a circular table with a fortune-telling ball on it. Sitting at that table was a anthropomorphic fox, who grinned at the group.

“Welcome,” it said. “Here to seek your fortune?”

“I suppose so,” Van said, letting out an impatient sigh. “Alright. Let’s get this—”

“You continue to evade me.”

The group jumped at the robotic voice—the conductor was back already?! Saint Germain ducked behind Cardia’s legs, hissing. Van readied his harpoon gun, and Lupin stood in front of Cardia, ready to fight. Victor looked around, but he couldn’t see where the voice was coming from.

“I’ve sent one of my drones to see this . . . resistance for myself,” the conductor continued. “What a small assembly, one less than before, too. The five of you cannot escape me, not anymore.”

 _Five?_ Victor thought. _Oh—he probably can’t see Saint Germain. Is it good that he thinks there’s less of us?_

That’s when he spotted the drone. High in the night sky, there was something shining that didn’t fit in with the rest of the stars. Fran nudged Helsing and pointed at it, and the other man readied his harpoon gun.

“Now, what’s going on here?” asked the fox, sounding quite confused. “I would like to continue giving fortunes, now if you could—”

“Silence,” said the conductor. “Now, Cardia, you will come with me. And I’ll bring your friends along to. Because I care about you, daughter. Together, we can be happy.”

Van shot his harpoon gun, but the drone swiped out of the way at the last second. “Goodbye,” the conductor said simply.

There was a strange hissing sound, and Victor spotted a loud cloud approaching, getting bigger by the second. He got a wiff of the smell, and his eyes widened. _Shit!_ “He’s got sleeping gas!” the chemist told the group. “Quickly, we have to get out of here!”

Impey dove for the door and turned the knob, but it wouldn’t move. “I control these cars,” the conductor said calmly. “Do you think I’d let you escape this?”

Victor’s mind raced for solutions—if they ran forward, they’d be surrounded by the gas in an instant. But they couldn’t go backwards, either. Maybe. . .!

He put his shirt over his nose and mouth, and turned to the others. “Cover your face,” he ordered them. “We might have to run through that.”

Everyone did as he said (Saint covered his nose and mouth with his hat, and Impey had to use his hands), but Victor still wasn’t sure if this would work. “Run!” he yelled, and charged toward the gas.

For a brief moment, it seemed like the plan would work—he was charging through and doing just fine. But then the sleepiness knocked into him like a shockwave, and he fell to the ground on his knees, overwhelmed by the gas.

“N-No. . .” Victor reached forward, but he could feel himself getting weaker and weaker. Around him, he glimpsed the others falling onto the ground. It was over.

A moment later, he closed his eyes, and everything went dark.


	23. Taken

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 23 Prompt: What’s A Whumpee Gotta Do To Get Some Sleep Around Here?

Isaac watched through his drone, a small smile forming on his face. Everything had gone perfectly. Ignoring the others, he flew his drone to Cardia, staring at her through the lens of the camera.

His daughter was just as he had left her in The Mansion Car. Vastly superior to the other prototypes he had built, a true marvel that could almost be mistaken for human. Almost, except the grass underneath her exposed cheek was melting thanks to her poison.

But that didn’t matter now. He had taken such a long time to get to this point, and finally, he had reached it, ready to retrieve his beloved Cardia. It was finally time.

He glanced at the sleeping passengers, uncaring, and typed on the computer, calling forth more drones.

Soon it would all be ready.


	24. The Prisoner Car

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 24 Prompt: You’re Not Making Any Sense

Victor slowly returned to consciousness, blinking rapidly as he returned to reality. Sitting up from the ground, he realized he wasn’t in that fortune-telling car anymore. The ground here was smooth and clear. Almost like a dome. . .

He frantically looked up, and saw that he was in some kind of giant glass cube. Looking around, he saw that the others were in the same positions, trapped in individual prisons—aside from Cardia, who was tied up in a chair at the front of the room.

Van Helsing, whose harpoon gun was gone, was stirring in his cube, and Lupin was waking up too. Impey was scrambling about, frantically looking for an exit, and Saint Germain was sitting quietly, seemingly pondering the situation.

“Guys!” Fran screamed, banging on the glass. That got Van’s attention, and the chemist saw him shake his head, tapping at his ears. _Shit, he can’t here me._ he realized. _Now what?_

Victor thought for a minute. Then he breathed hot air on the glass, and looked up at Van Helsing. Van nodded, giving Fran a small but noticeable smile. _So how can we get out of here? I—_

He was interrupted by a door opening, and he frantically turned toward it, bracing himself for Finis. Instead, the figure he saw was rather unexpected—and he knew it had to be the conductor.

He was human, to Fran’s surprise, wearing an old-fashioned coat and pants, along with white, formal gloves. His beard was long and white, and some sort of device was attached to his cheek. There was a clacking sound when he walked, and looking down at his feet, Victor glimpsed some kind of metal leg.

“Greetings,” the conductor said, in the same robotic voice as before. “You’ll be able to hear me, but I will not be able to hear you. I prefer it that way.”

Van yelled and screamed, banging on the glass, and the conductor sighed. “Futile,” the man said, sounding bored. “Now, let me get to the point.

“I am here for Cardia. I don’t care about you three passengers, or you two denizens.” He shook his head. “I am at the final stage of my plan. And soon—”

In front of him, Cardia started to stir. The conductor smiled. “Ah, she’s awake,” he said, with a surprising amount of emotion in his voice. “Let us welcome her.”


	25. Isaac Beckford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Alt Prompt: Altered States

Victor watched Cardia open her eyes. “W-Where am I?” she stammered, struggling in the ropes. “What’s going on! The gas—”

“Cardia,” the conductor interrupted, stopping her words in their tracks. The man knelt down in front of her, a smile on his face. “Do you recognize me, darling? I am Isaac Beckford. Your father.”

Cardia nodded, and Fran noticed fear in her eyes. “I-I do recognize you,” she said. “Where am I?”

“In my storage car, next to the train’s engine.”

“And why am I tied up?” she asked fearfully.

“For your own protection,” he explained. “I knew you’d be scared once you woke up, and I didn’t want you to run away. I’ll untie you shortly, my dear. Just as soon as I tell you why I’ve brought you.”

Cardia nodded. “Ok. I understand.” Victor saw wariness in her eyes, and wished he could say something to help. But, like her, all he could do was listen.

“Good.” The conductor smiled. Then, he began.

“I used to be much like your friends,” said Isaac Beckford. “Once I was a passenger, just another cog in the machine. But I started noticing the way this machine operates, and strived for more than just escape from it.

“Have you noticed the ways this train . . . creates?” the conductor asked. “I’m sure you’ve seen it in your time exploring. Cars, environments, people—the train is a vehicle of unrivaled creation. And that’s why I took control of it.”

“Took control?”

He nodded, a smile on his face. “I saw the train’s infinite possibilities of creating—how it made denizens left and right without fail. And I wanted to take that power for myself.”

“So you’re not the original conductor?” Cardia asked, surprised.

“Original or not, it doesn’t matter—I’m the conductor now.” Isaac Beckford laughed. “The original is just a haze in my memory, nothing more—a meaningless being who must be long gone by now. I made sure of that when I took their place.”

Victor gulped. The one they thought could help them was looking more and more suspicious every second.

“I let the machine keep taking its passengers, keep trying to ‘help’ humans,” the conductor continued. “All the while, I studied the way the train creates, both mechanical and organic. I’ve devoted my life to this work. With the final stages of my plan, I will finally reach an unparalleled stage of creation, and become equivalent to a god.”

 _A god?_ The man was clearly quite mad. He had to be . . . right? Victor continued to watch, unable to look away.

“W-Why do you want to become a god?” Cardia asked, looking pale.

“Because I want total control over this train,” Isaac Beckford replied, smiling. “Humanity is a rotten species. The fact that this . . . _thing_ tries to help them is absolutely disgusting. It could be used to further so many scientific advances, and create things nobody has ever dreamed of.

“I will do everything in my power to fulfil that goal. And it starts with you, Cardia.”

“Me?” Cardia whispered.

The conductor nodded. He knelt down in front of his daughter, smiling. “My first attempts to create a human failed utterly. They were . . . deformed, unstable. I couldn’t bare to look at them, so I scattered them across the train.” Van Helsing’s eyes widened. “But when I created you . . . I knew I had finally made a perfect specimen. But I had to advance things further, first. That’s why I sent you away.”

“So what do you want from me?” Cardia asked.

“You were made with the essence of the train—the same power that makes it able to run for an eternity,” Isaac Beckford explained. “Your poison is produced as a side effect, but that is barely any matter—after all, the power inside you is of unending energy, able to give everlasting life. I locked that essence inside of you, and now, I am taking it back.”

Cardia frowned. “What do you mean?”

The conductor grinned. “With your help, I can finally achieve eternal life in the physical world. In my research of Finis, I have found a way to achieve it in the digital one. Using that and the powers of the train, I will be godlike. I will finally be able to create at my whim—and nothing will be able to stop me.

“What do you say, daughter? This is the purpose I create you for, so that your life can power my soul. Will you help me?”

Cardia didn’t hesitate. “I won’t do it!” she exclaimed, shaking her head.

Isaac Beckford frowned. “My daughter. Do you not understand that I—”

“I won’t. Do. It.” The poisonous denizen spoke firmly.

The conductor sighed. “Then I’m afraid we’ll have make things . . . more difficult.

“Turn around.”

Cardia did so—and for the first time, she saw the rest of the group, caged behind her, watching in stunned silence. “L-Let my friends go!” she yelled, struggling in her bonds.

“I’m afraid I can’t do that,” Isaac Beckford said calmly. “I’ve captured them in order to make you cooperate. If you behave, no harm will come to them. If you disobey, bad things will happen to them.”

“No!” 

“Though I can’t physically change passenger’s numbers, there are other things I can do to ensure a very long stay. And for the denizens, I have worse consequences. . .” The conductor gave her a sad smile. “You’ve left me no choice but to resort to this. Now, are you going to behave?”

“Don’t do it, Cardia!” Victor shouted through the glass. “We’ll be fine!” He wasn’t sure if he believed that . . . but he didn’t want her to die.

Lupin frantically shook his head; Impey did the same, chattering away in his cage. Van and Saint were still, waiting for Cardia’s reply.

“Fine,” Cardia said, her voice so quiet it was almost a whisper. “I’ll do whatever you say. Just don’t hurt them.”

Isaac Beckford smiled. “Good. I will go prepare for your extraction.”

He turned around, and walked toward the exit. “Wait!” Cardia cried. “Aren’t you going to untie me?”

“Soon, daughter,” the conductor replied. “And don’t bother trying to get out—I studied your poison extensively when I first made you, and both the chair and the ropes are protected from it.”

With that, the man left the room.


	26. The Depths of Despair

Cardia was still. Victor looked into her eyes, and saw numb shock reflected in them. He wished he could do something to help, but like everyone else, he was trapped. . .

Then movement caught his eye, and he turned around. To his surprise, Saint Germain, who was _smiling_ , was running a claw along the glass, making a large square. When the shape was completed, the glass fell out, and shattered to the floor.

“I do hate small spaces,” the cat said, bounding up to Cardia. He ripped through her ropes with his teeth, then bounded to Lupin’s cage. “Making a hole big enough for the rest of you will be more difficult, but I will do my best.”

Van rolled his eyes. Victor watched Saint Germain’s efforts for a moment, then turned to Cardia. She didn’t even stand up from her chair.

“Was this all I was ever good for?” she thought aloud. “Just a . . . tool for my father’s immortality?”

Lupin stepped out of the cage, and Saint moved onto Impey. The man said, “I’m sorry, Cardia. I know you’ve wanted to meet him for so long. . .”

“What do we do now?” she asked. “What do _I_ do now, aside from accepting my fate?”

Saint freed Impey, and moved onto Victor. There was a long silence, aside from the sound of claws on glass.

“You don’t have to do this,” Lupin said firmly. “He wants you to die, doesn’t he?”

“I-I know, but. . .” Tears ran down her cheeks. “What else can I do?”

Saint Germain finished making the opening, and the glass fell. Victor stepped out, trying to find the right words. “You deserve to live,” he said firmly. “You don’t deserve to be . . . to be used like that.” He thought of Nemo, and closed his eyes. “You deserve to be happy. Even if that means letting go of someone you thought you loved.”

Cardia was silent. Saint freed Van, who stepped out with a sigh. “Victor is right,” he said, surprising everyone in the room. “You don’t deserve to be used by the conductor . . Isaac Beckford . . . whatever. The point is that you should fight it.”

The poisonous denizen turned to him. She looked at the group, clearly in thought. “What do you think?” Impey asked her, sounding hesitant.

“I . . . I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m so sad I can’t get a number, that my father turned out like . . . _this_. And I want to fight him. But I don’t want him to hurt any of you. . . I—”

To everyone’s surprise, Saint Germain interrupted her with a laugh. Everyone turned to the cat, who had a broad smile on his face. “You won’t have to worry about that, my dear,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Lupin asked, confused.

Saint hopped up to the top of the glass cages. “The conductor said we’re next to the engine room,” he purred. “That means we’re near the control panels for the train. If we go there, we can take control away from Isaac Beckford, and foil his plans.”

“That’s good,” Victor said, breathing a sigh of relief.

“But how do you know that?” Van asked sharply.

The cat paused for a minute. Then he laughed, and let out a sigh.

“I suppose there’s no use in hiding it,” he said, straightening his hat. “Not anymore. . .”

“Hiding what?” Impey asked, clearly confused.

“I originally delayed my return in order to keep track of Isaac’s creations,” Saint Germain continued, looking over at Cardia, “and for my own curiosity over his actions. However, I believe it is time for me to go to my post.”

“Go back to your. . .” Lupin’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are you saying that. . .!”

“Correct.” The cat smiled at the group, and bowed, taking off his hat.

“Though Isaac Beckford does not remember me, allow me to introduce myself. I am the conductor of this humble train—and now, it is time for me to take it back from that madman.

“Are you all with me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 26 Prompt: If You Thought Head Trauma Was Bad. . .


	27. The Real Conductor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Alt Prompt: Comfort

“You’re the conductor?” Cardia’s eyes widened in surprise and pain. “Saint Germain, why did you never tell me this?”

“Because I never trusted Isaac’s creations,” the cat replied, “at least, not until I met you. Originally, I joined your group to monitor you, and see what Isaac had up his sleeve. I assumed if I was making my way back to the engine, I could also try and understand his objectives for the train.

“But I began to see you as more than just an objective—and now, I would like to aid you.”

The true conductor gave Cardia a sympathetic smile. “I believe you are deserving of a number, my dear. But I cannot give you one unless I am returned to my rightful place. Will you help me?”

The poisonous denizen hesitated for a moment. Then, finally, she nodded, a joyful grin her face. “Thank you, Saint Germain. I . . . I can’t wait to get a number.”

The cat let out a happy purr. “Good, my dear. Now, are we all ready to fight for Cardia?”

“For sure,” Lupin said.

“Yeah!” exclaimed Impey.

“Absolutely,” replied Fran.

“Yes,” said Van Helsing, which pleasantly surprised Victor. “Though I came here for my own goals, I want to help you, too. Let’s do this.”

Victor caught a glimpse of something green, and looked down at his palm in surprise. He hadn’t been paying attention to his number as of late, and currently, it was changing, flickering in his hand. When it was done, he was surprised to see “8” written there.

“Holy shit,” he muttered, looking up at the group.

Saint Germain smiled. “A moment of growth, I see.”

“Thanks.” Fran cleared his throat, and turned to Cardia. “Let’s go.”


	28. The Engine Car

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 28 Prompt: Such Wow. Many Normal. Very Oops/Accidents

The poisonous denizen nodded, and walked to the door, everyone following close behind. Opening it revealed the outside of the train, and a bridge to another car—but this time, the car was different. The door leading to it wasn’t a regular exit, but a white door, with a sliding handle. Victor gazed at it in surprise, then followed everyone across the bridge.

They made it to the other side without incident, but when Cardia tried to open the door, it was locked. “Allow me,” said Saint Germain, who pressed his paw at the base of the entrance. A moment later, it slid open, and the cat strode inside, with the others following close behind.

The inside of the car was a pale grey, a long hallway filled with doors of various shapes and sizes. “The control panel’s in there,” said Saint Germain, pointing to the end of the hall. “Once I get there, I can reestablish control of the train, and hopefully by doing that, we can stop Beckford’s plans.”

“Sounds good,” Lupin said. 

“How exactly do you plan to get control back?” Van asked, folding his arms.

The cat chuckled. “I know my way around the front of the train. Unless he’s completely changed the programming—which is impossible for any human to accomplish—I should have no problem reestablishing myself as the conductor. From there, I’ll shut him out of creating new cars or denizens, and take control of one of his robots. Then we can restrain him, and stop his plans.”

“Good!” Impey exclaimed. “Let’s get him!”

“Not so loud,” Van hissed. “We don’t want to get anyone’s attention.”

“Agreed,” Saint Germain said. He looked around the room, until he spotted a particular door. “You all wait here—I have an idea,” he said. The cat bounded up to the door, pressed his paw against it, and walked inside. The door slid shut behind him.

“Great,” Van muttered. “What are we supposed to do, then?”

At that moment, one of the doors in the hallway opened, and a familiar figure stepped out. For a second Finis was turned away from the group, but then he looked forward, and saw them.

“Oops,” Lupin muttered.

The robot’s eye widened in surprise upon seeing them, but then, Finis laughed. “I had been hoping you might escape,” he said, cackling. “Father said I could rough you up a bit if you did—I always enjoy a good beatdown.”

Cardia stepped in front of everyone, taking off her gloves. “Don’t come any closer, or I’ll—”

“You can’t do anything to me this time,” the mechanical being said, a sneer in his voice. “Father’s protected my body from your poison, dear sister. Your little group is helpless now.”

He tilted his eye-head. “Why are you even fighting this? Father’s will is for us to create his path to godhood. You dare to defy that?”

“He wants to kill me so he can take my . . . my ‘essence’!” Cardia exclaimed. “Surely you can see how wrong that is!”

“Not at all,” the robot replied. “Father created me with an autonomous mind, but I have always lived to serve him, and prepare for this train to worship his presence.”

“So . . . brother . . . you’re ok with . . . being _used_ by him?”

“Of course. Anything to make Father happy.”

Cardia swallowed. “I didn’t want to have to do this, but you leave me no choice but to fight you,” she said.

Finis laughed. “Very well. I’ll drag you to Father kicking and screaming if I have to—”

The door Saint Germain had been in opened, making everybody turn. The cat strode out, wearing a device around his neck. “Oh dear,” Saint said, seeing Finis. “It does look like you caught up with us.”

“H-How did you get in there?!” the robot exclaimed. “Only Father has access to that room!”

“Not anymore,” the cat said, chuckling. He looked over at the group. “I’ll deal with this.”

“What exactly are you going to do?” challenged Finis, looming over the small animal.

The cat said nothing. Instead, he simply pressed the device around its neck with one paw.

Immediately, the robot started reacting, jolting and stiffening, his arms flailing. “W-What are you doing?” Finis bellowed, his voice malfunctioning and changing pitch.

Saint smiled. “Your father used my machines to create his ‘bodies’ for you. I’ve simply activated the original programming—any foreign programs are expelled, and a restart is forced.”

“Stop it!” The mechanical beast let out a scream. Then it looked forward at Cardia, and lunged forward. “I have to. . . For father. . .!”

Right before Finis was about to reach her, there was a clicking sound from within. The robot’s eye widened, and then closed. The arms went limp, and “Finis” collapsed to the floor.

“We have to hurry,” said Saint Germain. “Before Isaac Beckford creates a new body for him. Come on!”

He ran to the door at the end of the hall, and the group followed. Victor winced as he stepped over Finis’s corpse, praying that the robot wouldn’t wake up. It didn’t, and he continued on down the hall, relieved.

When they reached the door, Saint Germain placed his paw in the center. A moment later, it opened, revealing the control room.


	29. Confronting Isaac Beckford

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Day 29 Prompt: I Think I Need A Doctor

Victor’s eyes widened as he looked around the place. The control room was quite big, with monitors that lined the entirety of the walls and ceiling. Strange keyboards sat on tables around the room, with another white door located on one of the walls. And there, in the center of it all, stood Isaac Beckford.

The man turned around, wearing a huge smile—but his face distorted with rage upon seeing the group. “So, you escaped,” he said. “Finis has failed once again.”

“I didn’t mean to, Father!” Victor jumped at the sound of Finis’s voice, and he realized it was coming from one of the computer monitors above Beckford. “That cat found some kind of device in your equipment room—it knocked me out of my body.”

“Really?” Isaac Beckford glanced at Saint Germain with mild interest. “So you found the eviction device. How did you get in my equipment room?”

“Well, it was _my_ equipment room before you took over my train,” Saint Germain said, walking forward with claws out. “Do you still not remember me, Isaac Beckford? Have these decades on the train rotted your brain that much?”

The man tilted his head—and then, his eyes widened. “No, you couldn’t be,” he muttered. “The conductor?”

The cat nodded. “I am here to take back my train,” Saint hissed. “You sent me back thousands of cars, once upon a time—but now I have returned to my rightful place. Give up, or face the consequences.”

“No—not now,” Isaac Beckford muttered, seemingly talking to himself. “I’m so close, I can’t be stopped now!”

“Father, you’ve lost,” Cardia said firmly. “Now, return the train to its rightful owner.”

“Never!” the man screamed. He turned back toward the keyboard, typing frantically. Saint Germain bounded forward—but a long glass sheet shot out of the ceiling, stopping the cat in his tracks. Hissing, Saint clawed at the wall in front of him. Van ran forward and tried to break the glass, kicking it hard, and the rest of the group moved forward with him. Cardia took off her gloves and shoved her hands against the glass, melting it in seconds

“I will have my family back!” the false conductor screamed, continuing to type. “No matter how long it takes, no matter how many times I have to create—I will be with them again!”

Saint Germain finished making a hole in the glass; at the same time, Cardia made a hole big enough for all of them with her poison. The cat ran forward and jumped up on the table, hissing. “Grab him!” he yelled to the group.

Van and Lupin ran forward and did so, pulling the man away from the keyboard. But he writhed and squirmed in their grasp, screaming, “Mine! No one can take that away from me!” He got his arm free and lunged forward, pressing one final key.

One of the monitors flipped backwards and revealed a long, robotic arm, which snatched Cardia before anyone in the group could react, pinning her arms to her sides. She squirmed and struggled, trying to melt it with her poison, but she couldn’t get free. Victor dove for her, but the arm moved her high in the air, out of reach.

Isaac Beckford cackled, continuing to struggle in Van and Lupin’s grip. “It’s over,” he said. “Soon I will absorb the essence I extracted, and become a god!”

The robotic arm tightened around Cardia, making her scream. “No!” Victor shouted, running toward her. _There has to be a way to stop this, there has to be—_ Impey scrambled up the monitors and to the arm, running to the end and pulling out a wrench. All the while, Cardia continued to scream—

Suddenly, the arm around Cardia stopped. And then, much to Victor’s relief, its grip on the poison denizen loosened, and it lowered her to the ground.

Isaac Beckford frowned. “No. . . NO!” he screamed. Victor turned around, and saw Saint Germain at the keyboard of the train, typing rapidly. A moment later, another arm came from the ceiling, going toward Beckford. Van and Lupin backed up, and the arm snatched up the false conductor.

“Father!” Finis cried. “No . . . how could Father fail. . .?”

Van, Lupin, and Victor all ran up to Cardia. Impey was already with her, and perched on the fellow denizen’s shoulder, hugging her face. “Are you ok?” Lupin asked frantically. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“I think I’ll be bruised, but otherwise I’m fine,” she told them, smiling with relief. “Thank you all . . . for helping me.”

“The pleasure is all ours, my dear,” Saint Germain said, causing everyone to turn towards him. He continued to type on the keyboard for a moment longer, then looked up. “I’ve regained control in the system—not that Beckford really shut me out. It looks like when he took over, he merely added over what was already within the programs.”

“Well, that’s good,” said Victor, relieved that the cat had been able to save Cardia. If not, she would have. . . He shook his head, deciding not to think about that.

He was just glad they were all safe.


	30. Exiting The Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Prompt Day 30: Now Where Did That Come From

At that moment, a glowing light emitted from Victor’s palm. Surprised, the chemist looked down to see his number flickering—and it went down to 0.

The light left his hand and beamed in front of him, creating an open door. And through that door, he could see . . .

“Home,” Fran whispered, staring out.

“Looks like you’ve gotten your exit,” Saint Germain purred. “Good for you—you’ve earned it.”

But Victor wasn’t going to just leave—not yet. “What about the rest of you?” he asked, turning to the group.

“Don’t worry,” the cat said, giving the group a smile. He typed a few strokes on the keyboard, and a machine came down from the ceiling. “Cardia, hold out your hand.”

The denizen’s eyes widened, and she nodded, walking forward and taking off her gloves. Saint Germain reached out and grabbed her hand, ignoring his fur burning away, and placed it underneath the machine.

A green light came out of the tip, and landed on Cardia’s hand. A moment later, a 0 was glowing on her hand—a door came out and produced a portal just like Victor’s, only hers led to some sort of mansion.

Tears left Cardia’s eyes. Saint Germain smiled. “I’ve given you the coordinates to Isaac Beckford’s exit,” he said to her. “Hopefully that will be enough for you to—”

She wrapped her arms around the cat, stopping that sentence in its tracks. “Thank you,” the former-denizen whispered. “Thank you so much.

The cat smiled, and patted her shoulders. “The pleasure is all mine, my dear.”

He looked over at Van Helsing. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you. You see, I’ve been pondering over your situation since I met you on this train, Van. And I’ve noticed how much you’ve changed over the course of this one.”

“And?” Helsing asked hopefully.

The cat smiled. “Roll up your sleeve, and give me your hand.”

Van obeyed, and Saint Germain brought his palm underneath the machine. “The machine is able to alter your number to the one you are truly worthy of, in these . . . special cases,” the cat explained. “Let’s see what number you deserve.”

Helsing’s arm began to glow, emitting a green light that was brighter than either Cardia’s or Victor’s—possibly because of how long his number was. Then, before their eyes, the number on his arm, which had already shortened to a few inches above his wrist, began to rapidly decrease. It went down and down, until finally, what adorned his hand was a 0.

The number glowed and emitted a door, which showed an orderly bunker: Van’s home. Tears rolled down the man’s cheeks, and he looked at the cat in surprise. “Looks like that’s the number you deserve,” Saint Germain purred, smiling. “I don’t make the rules.”

“Thank you,” Helsing said, wiping his eyes. “Just . . . thank you.”

“I’m glad.” The cat looked over at Lupin. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you.” He typed a few keys on the keyboard, and a door teleported into the room, showing a dilapidated house. “I was able to transport your exit to this location,” Saint Germain explained.

Lupin let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”

“And Impey,” the cat said, turning to the flying squirrel, “I could use a skilled engineer to help me with the engine. What do you say?”

The inventor let out an excited squeak. “I would be honored! Thank you so much!”

There was a pause. The group looked at each other. “I guess . . . this is it?” said Cardia nervously. She looked up at Isaac Beckford. “What will happen to him?”

“I will let him redeem himself on this train, like any other passenger,” said Saint Germain. “We’ll see if he actually accepts his path to redemption.”

Cardia nodded. She looked at the others with a smile. “Thank you all. I couldn’t have done this without you.”

“I’m glad I met you,” said Van, a small smile on his face. “I’m . . . grateful our paths crossed.”

“I agree,” said Victor, nodding.

“I’m sure once we’re out there, we’ll meet again,” Lupin said. “I know it.”

Victor grinned.

“I’m sure of it.”


	31. Back Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whumptober Alt Prompt: Found Family

“So what did you want to talk about?” Nemo asked, giving Fran an easygoing smile. The two of them were sitting at their local coffee shop, and Victor was nervousl

 _I have to do this_ , the scientist told himself, clenching his fist. _For my own sake._

“N-Nemo,” Victor began, taking a sip of his coffee. He noticed his hands were trembling, and he took a deep breath, building his determination. _I’ll be ok_ , he told himself.

After gathering his courage, he said those words: “I’m breaking up with you.”

Nemo stopped drinking his coffee mid-swig, and paused, looking at Fran, searching for any signs of a joke. But Victor was more serious about this than anything. “Why?” Nemo asked. “We’ve been doing so well.”

“No, we haven’t,” Fran said firmly. “Y-You’ve made a habit out of taking advantage of me—kissing me when I don’t want it, touching me when I say no. I don’t want that anymore. I need you out of my life.”

“Come on, babe,” Nemo said, laughing. “You’re overreacting—”

“No, I’m not.” Victor looked into Nemo’s eyes, shaking. “That night, when you were drunk and carrying me across campus . . . you raped me. And you convinced me that you hadn’t, but you did.”

“What?!” Nemo exclaimed. “I—”

“I don’t want to hear any excuses,” Fran interrupted. “I’ve transferred to a different school, and I’ve already arranged other living arrangements—my friends are helping move my boxes as we speak. 

“I’m done with you.”

Nemo stared at Fran in shock. That shock quickly turned to anger, and Victor winced, waiting for retribution. But to his relief, his ex-boyfriend stood up and stormed out of the coffee shop without saying a word.

Fran took a deep, shaky breath. He could hear his heart beating in his ears, and prayed that he wouldn’t lose it. _Come on, Fran. Hold it together. . ._

“You ok?”

The voice brought him back to reality, and he looked up. There stood Van Helsing, and the man gave him a smile before sitting across from Victor, waiting patiently.

“I-I think so,” Fran stammered.

“If you have another anxiety attack, just remember the coping strategies we talked about,” his friend said. “And I’m here for you, too.”

“Ok.” Victor paused, then said, “Thanks for agreeing to cover me today. I appreciate you flying all the way down here.”

Van shrugged. “I’m glad I could help.”

“Yeah.” Fran let out a relieved sigh. “I’m glad he didn’t flip out . . . well, in front of me at least.” He smiled. “But it’s good to know you’d protect me if he did.”

“Of course I would.”

Victor paused, and then checked his watch. “We should probably head back to the dorm,” he said. “I imagine they’re done packing my stuff by now, and I want to get out of here as soon as possible.”

“That’s understandable.” Helsing stood up from the table, and Victor did the same, throwing his coffee in the trash. “You ready?”

Fran nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

__________

They took Van’s car back to the college. “So . . . how are you doing?” Victor asked. “I know you said things have been hard for you since getting off the train. . .”

“It’s difficult,” the man admitted. “I don’t have to . . . _survive_ anymore. I’m not used to it. Life feels too calm.”

“I’m sorry,” Victor said.

Helsing shrugged. “It is what it is.” He glanced at Fran. “And how have you been doing?”

Victor hesitated. “I’m . . . I think I’m ok,” he admitted. “Going on that train made me realize how much I needed to let go of Nemo, after all. And despite everything that happened . . . I’m alright.”

Van smiled. “That’s good.”

They reached the university, and Van drove inside. “Guide me to your dorm,” he said to Victor. “I don’t know how to get there.”

“Oh! Of course.” Victor leaned forward and pointed. “You have to turn left here. And then. . .”

He continued to give the other man directions, and soon, they pulled up to his building: Regal Dormitory. Van parked in front of the building, and the two stepped out of the car. As they did, someone gave them a wave.

“Guys!” Lupin stuffed the last of Fran’s boxes in his trunk, and walked over, a big smile on his face. “Good to see you both made it out alive.”

Behind him, Cardia had been sitting on the steps, but she stood up upon seeing them, a wide smile on her face.

“Yeah, we did,” Fran said to Lupin, accepting a hug from the other man.

“So . . . how was it,” Lupin asked him as they let go. “You did ok?”

“I did,” Victor said, nodding. “It was . . . hard. But I was able to break up with Nemo. I’m glad I’ll be leaving him for good.”

“That’s great!” Lupin exclaimed. “I know you were nervous. He tried to give us some trouble when we were moving your stuff out, but a few words from Cardia sent him running off.”

Fran’s eyes widened. “Nemo came back here?” he asked frantically.

“He’s gone now,” Cardia assured him. “I told him to get out of here, and he drove away. Thankfully he went without too much of a fuss. . .”

“Yeah,” said Lupin. “Though he looked ready to punch me in the face—good thing Cardia stepped in.”

Victor smiled, and looked at his two friends, thankful they had come all this way to help him. Lupin, it turned out, only lived a state away. And though Cardia was farther, it turned out that as the daughter of renowned inventor Isaac Beckford (whose role she took on upon leaving the train, as it turned out the man did indeed have a daughter named Cardia at one point), she was easily able to use some funds to come see him.

“Thank you all so much,” Victor said, looking from Lupin to Cardia to Van. “I. . . I couldn’t have done this without you all.”

“Glad we could help!” Cardia exclaimed.

“Yeah, we’re here for you, buddy!” said Lupin.

“It’s nothing really,” muttered Van, blushing slightly. “Now, you should probably get going to your new school, shouldn’t you?”

Victor nodded, and walked over to his car. He put his hand on the door, then turned back to his friends. “I’ll let you know when I get there,” the chemist said, giving them a smile. “Don’t worry.”

“Drive safe!” said Lupin. Cardia and Van both waved.

Victor got into his car and started the engine. After a moment, he drove off.

This was a new beginning.


End file.
